ed to her Uncle Jed's
vagaries and knew that, in his own good time, an explanation would
be forthcoming. It came now.

"Why, you see," said Jed, "Phin Babbitt and the rest sendin' you
over here to find a crank was their little joke. They're enjoyin'
it now. The one thing needed to make 'em happy for life is to see
you come out of here empty-handed and so b'ilin' mad that you froth
over. If you come out smilin' and with what you came after, why--
why, then the cream of their joke has turned a little sour, as you
might say. See?"

Grover laughed. "Yes, I see that plain enough," he agreed. "And
I'm certainly obliged to you. I owed those fellows one. But what
I don't see is how you got those cranks by going down to the
seashore."

"W-e-e-ll, if I'd gone straight up the road to Rogers's our jokin'
friends would have known that's where the cranks came from. I
wanted 'em to think they came from right here. So I went over the
bank back of the shop, where they couldn't see me, along the beach
till I got abreast of Joshua's and then up across lots. I came
back the way I went. I hope those things 'll fit, Major. One of
'em will, I guess likely."

The major laughed again. "I certainly am obliged to you, Mr.
Winslow," he said. "And I must say you took a lot of trouble on my
account."

Jed sighed, although there was a little twinkle in his eye.

"'Twan't altogether on your account," he drawled. "I owed 'em one,
same as you did. I was the crank they sent you to."

Their visitor bade Barbara and her mother good afternoon, gathered
up his cranks and turned to the door.

"I'll step over and start the car," he said. "Then I'll come back
and return these things."

Jed shook his head. "I wouldn't," he said. "You may stop again
before you get back to Bayport. Rogers is in no hurry for 'em, he
said so. You take 'em along and fetch 'em in next time you're
over. I want you to call again anyhow and these cranks 'll make a
good excuse for doin' it," he added.

"Oh, I see. Yes, so they will. With that understanding I'll take
them along. Thanks again and good afternoon."

He hastened across the street. The two in the shop watched from
the window until the car started and moved out of sight. The group
by the telegraph office seemed excited about something; they
laughed no longer and there was considerable noisy argument.

Jed's lip twitched. "'The best laid plans of mice--and skunks,'"
he quoted, solem