girls. We want to take them by surprise."

Separating from her companions, who stole noiselessly to the shadowy
rear of the house, Jerry cautiously invaded the front porch. The shade
which had been raised a little when Marjorie had come to the house was
now drawn. Still she could see that the room on the right was lighted.
With the stealth of a burglar she tried the door. It was locked. She
listened at it, then stood up with a triumphant smile. From within she
could hear the sound of voices.

As softly as she had stolen up on the porch, she now withdrew. Her feet
on the ground, she ran like a deer for the rear of the house. There she
beheld dimly a group of figures drawn into a compact bunch near the back
steps.

"Front door's locked. How about the back one?" she breathed.

"It's unlocked. Ronny just tried it," Leila whispered. "She says she can
open it and go inside without making a sound."

"Of course. She's a great dancer, you know, and light as a feather in
stepping. Oh, fudge! You don't know. At least you didn't until I told
you. I have given away Ronny's secret. She made us promise not to tell
it right after the beauty contest. I don't care. I am glad you know it.
I have always wished you and Helen and Vera could see her dance. She is
a marvel."

At this juncture Ronny joined them. In the darkness she did not see
Leila's Cheshire cat grin, born of Jerry's unintentional betrayal. Leila
had often remarked to Marjorie, who had told her of Ronny's concealment
of her real identity at Sanford High School, that Veronica was a good
deal of a mystery still.

"That you, Jeremiah?" was Ronny's whispered inquiry. "I am going to slip
in the back way and find out what is going on. Was the front door
locked?"

"Yes; but I could hear voices from where I stood on the veranda. I
couldn't sort 'em out so as to know who was who."

"I'll soon find out whose they are." Ronny shut her lips in sharp
determination. "Now for the great venture." Immediately she glided away,
and mounted the steps with the noiseless tread of an apparition. The
tense watchers heard no sound as she opened the door and stepped
inside.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE BITER BITTEN.

For five minutes they waited in silence. It seemed to them much longer
than that when, quietly as she had gone, Ronny re-appeared on the top
step of the dingy little porch.

"She's in there," were her first words on reaching the waiting group.
"We are just in time to mak