finally agreed to try the front room closet first. This closet
was a lofty, roomy looking affair for about six feet, then as the roof
slanted sharply downward, faded away into darkness. It was floored and
ceiled to within three feet of the point where roof and floor met, and
it was only by getting down on hands and knees that the children could
crawl, through the aperture left unboarded, into the narrow, unused
spaces next the eaves.

Sherm and Ernest made the first venture, but their progress was soon cut
off short by a partition. So they wriggled back adorned with cobwebs and
sneezing from the dust they had stirred up.

"Let's try the closet in Chicken Little's room next--that's one of the
biggest."

This time Carol and Katy did the scouting with the same results except
that they found an open space between the roof and the uprights and lath
and plaster of the partition, which _seemed_ to lead up to some sort of
an attic over the main part of the house.

Carol hoisted Katy up on his shoulders to see if she could see anything
but she lacked about a foot of reaching the top of the partition. Carol
whistled to Ernest to come, but at this moment a voice called up from
the foot of the stairs, "Ship ahoy!"

"It's Dick Harding, I do believe!" exclaimed Chicken Little, and she
flew down to investigate, closely followed by Gertie.

It was Dick Harding, resplendent in blue overalls and an old cap.

"I met your father down street and he told me what the clan was up to.
This is a business I am mightily interested in, so I asked if I might
come, too. How do you like my regimentals?"

Mr. Harding surveyed his blue overalls proudly. He followed the little
girls upstairs and listened to Ernest's report of their progress.

"Suppose you and I try that. I am taller than Carol and I think I could
boost you high enough to get a look round. Got a light?"

They called to Carol and Katy to come out. Carol was quite ready to
yield the place of honor.

"Gee, it's hot and stuffy in there!" he groaned, fanning himself with an
old shoe he had picked up from the floor of the closet.

"You're so awful fat, Carol. I didn't mind it," said Katy frankly.

"Fat nothing--a shadow would smother in there. Your face looks red where
it ain't black, which is pretty much all over," retorted Carol nettled.
He didn't enjoy being called fat.

Dick Harding followed Ernest in. There was just about room enough for
him to get to his feet. He gave Erne