?"

Constance opened her eyes.

"Discharge Tony? Why should I do that? He isn't working for me."

"You weren't rude to him?"

"Father, am I ever rude to anyone?"

Mr. Wilder looked at the envelope again and shook his head. "There's
something mighty fishy about this whole business. When you get hold of
that brother of yours again, my dear young woman, you make him tell what
he's been up to this week--and make him tell the truth."

"Mr. Wilder!" Nannie was reproachful. "You don't know Jerry; he's
incapable of telling anything but the truth."

Constance tittered.

"What are you laughing at, Constance?"

"Nothing--only it's so funny. Why don't you advertise for him? Lost--a
young man, age twenty-eight, height, five feet eleven, weight one hundred
and seventy pounds, dark hair, gray eyes, slight scar over left eye brow;
dressed when last seen in double breasted blue serge suit and brown
russet shoes. Finder please return to Hotel du Lac and receive liberal
reward."

"He isn't lost," said Nannie. "We know where he is perfectly; he's at the
Hotel Sole d' Oro in Riva, and that's at the other end of the lake. We're
going up on the afternoon boat to join him."

"Oh!" said Constance, meekly.

"You take my advice," Mr. Wilder put in. "Go up to Riva if you
must--it's a pleasant trip--but leave your luggage here. See this young
man in person and bring him back with you; tell him we have just as good
mountains as he'll find in the Dolomites. If by any chance you shouldn't
find him--"

"Of course, we'll find him!" said Nannie.

Constance looked troubled.

"Don't go, it's quite a long trip. Write instead and give the letter to
Gustavo; he'll give it to the boat steward who will deliver it
personally. Then if Jerry shouldn't be there--"

Nannie was losing her patience.

"Shouldn't be there? But he _says_ he's there."

"Oh! yes, certainly, that ends it. Only, you know, Nannie, _I_ don't
believe there really is any such person as Jerry Junior! I think he's a
myth."

Gustavo had been hanging about the gate looking anxiously up the road as
if he expected something to happen. His brow cleared suddenly as a boy
on a bicycle appeared in the distance. The boy whirled into the court and
dismounted; glancing dubiously from one to the other of the group, he
finally presented his telegram to Gustavo, who passed it on to Nannie.
She ripped it open and ran her eyes over the contents.

"Can anyone tell me the meaning of this?