itchen things that you
didn't use there, and it's dark and unhandy and neither your aunt nor any
one else would think of disturbing it. Wouldn't that be the best place,
really?"

"I guess you're right," admitted Leslie, considerably relieved. "Wait
till Aunt Marcia has gone to sit on the front veranda, and we can put it
there."

The Dragon's Secret had probably known some strange resting-places in its
time, but doubtless none stranger than the one in which it now found
itself--a dark, rather dusty top shelf in a pantry, hobnobbing with a few
worn-out pots and pans and discarded kitchen-ware! But the girls tucked
it far into a corner, and, wrapped in its burlap bag, it was as
successfully concealed as it would have been in a strong-box.

"And now, there's something I've been wanting to ask you," said Leslie,
as the two girls strolled down to the beach. "Do you happen to know
anything about the people who hired Curlew's Nest the latter part of this
summer?"

"Oh, yes!" answered Phyllis, "though I didn't happen to see them myself.
Mrs. Danforth told me that in July the Remsons had it, as they always do.
But in August and September she rented it to an elderly gentleman,--I
can't think of his name, just this minute,--who stayed there all by
himself, with only his man or valet to do all the work. He wasn't very
well,--was recovering from some kind of a fever, I think,--and wanted to
be alone in some quiet place. You know, Mrs. Danforth herself spent all
summer in your bungalow, and she said she saw very little of the man in
Curlew's Nest, though they were such near neighbors. He sat on his porch
or in the house a great deal, or took long walks by himself on the beach.
He used to pass the time of day with her, and make some other formal
remarks, but that was about all. She was really rather curious about him,
he seemed so anxious not to mix with other people or be talked to. But he
left about the middle of September, and she closed up that bungalow for
the winter. That's about all I know."

"It's too bad you can't think of his name!" exclaimed Leslie.

"Why?" demanded Phyllis, suddenly curious. "You surely don't think that
has anything to do with _this_ affair, do you?"

But Leslie countered that question by asking another: "Has it ever
occurred to you as strange, Phyllis, that whoever got into that bungalow
lately, knew the little secret about the side door and worked it so
cleverly?"

Phyllis's eyes grew wide and s