e won't be glad to see
her wealth again."

"Where are the other fellows?" Chet asked, as they started back.

"Oh, they'll be along soon," said Ferd indifferently. "When they can't
find old 'Codfish' they'll come wandering back again."

"I wonder if Miss Race has waited," said Teddy, adding as he came near
the roadway: "Yes, there she is, looking pretty white and scared, too."

As they clumped through the heavy bushes Ferd looked at Chet gloomily.

"Say, make believe I don't envy you, you lucky dog," he said slangily.
"Gosh, all the girls will be wanting to skate with you and everything
now."

"Sure! Well be left out in the cold," added Teddy mournfully.

CHAPTER XXI

RAIDING THE PANTRY

As a matter of fact, Teddy and Ferd and all the other boys, too, were
left out in the cold more than even they had expected.

Miss Race greeted rapturously the return of her money. And as for the
girls--well, they hung around Chet, showering him with questions and
praise until it was really a wonder they did not spoil him entirely.

But when the first excitement was over, the boys had gone home, and
everything was quiet again, they could not help feeling sorry that Chet
had not kept the Codfish when he had him. And Miss Walters, though she
said nothing to the girls, was more worried than any of them.

"Why, we'll be afraid to go out at all after dark," Billie said,
wide-eyed and excited.

"And I'm sure I'll dream of him every night," Laura added with a
shudder.

But as the days went by the girls found other things to worry about than
the Codfish. They were having more and more trouble with Miss Ada and
Miss Cora. Then one day there came news that brought the whole matter to
a head.

Miss Walters had received a telegram calling her away suddenly and had
no way of knowing just when she would be back.

And in the meantime--this part of the news the girls received in
horror-stricken silence--Miss Ada Dill and Miss Cora Dill were to be
left in entire charge of Three Towers Hall.

It was nothing less than tragedy to the girls, for they knew that now at
last the "Dill Pickles" had their chance. And they knew, too, that Miss
Ada and Miss Cora would make the most of it.

The day came when Miss Walters left, and the girls watched her go with
puckered brows and stormy eyes.

"The meals have been bad enough, goodness knows," Laura grumbled, as
they gathered up their books for the first class. "But now I suppose we
wo