loath to add to her burden. The twins could hear her
surprised exclamation, and see the hitch of the shoulders with which she
freed her right arm for the attack. Down she bent, panting louder than
before, until, even as her envious fingers approached the prize, it
leapt into the air, and as by some magic process disappeared from sight.
Jack was bursting with pride at his own adroitness, and Jill nudged in
enthusiastic approval. This came of fishing by the river-banks in the
last summer holidays, and gaining dexterity in the art of casting lines!
It was wonderful how useful such accomplishments were at times. The
bewildered face of the disappointed treasure-seeker was almost too much
for the conspirators, and had she not been too much engrossed in her own
thoughts she must certainly have heard the splutterings which not even
the handkerchief stuffed between Jill's lips could entirely drown. With
a sigh she went on her way, wondering if eyesight were about to fail, as
the culmination of her troubles.

After this came an errand-boy, whistling as he walked. He made a pounce
at the parcel, and when it disappeared had no difficulty in
understanding the phenomenon.

"Ho, you would, would you?" he cried, and picking up a handful of
stones, sent them flying in among the bushes with such force that the
twins congratulated themselves on escaping without injury.

They learnt a lesson from this experience, and henceforth made a rule of
allowing all boys to pass by when they practised this particular
pastime. By this time Jill was shivering in her shabby coat, and
beginning to cast longing glances across the Square to the lighted
schoolroom window. Anticipations of tea and hot buttered toast--the
Saturday afternoon treat of years' standing--made her present position
seem unattractive, and she proposed an immediate adjournment home.

Jack, however, was not yet satisfied with his achievements.

"We haven't had what I call a real proper rise out of anyone yet. Just
once more, and then we'll run for it," he protested, and Jill shivered,
and yielded to his superior will.

She had not long to wait. In less than five minutes a slow, measured
tread was heard in the distance, and presently an elderly gentleman hove
in sight, portly, well-dressed, and walking with a certain stiffness and
deliberation which would have secured for him the sympathetic
consideration of people of his own age. Jack and Jill, however, had no
thought