m her----" And
the thumping of soft pillows supplied the omission of words.

"At least let me tell it," said Madaline in mock scorn. "Be generous
enough to give us that much glory. You see, ladies and gentlemen (to
an imagined audience), this little girl," slamming Cleo with another
pillow, "wrote a letter to her cousin. Her cousin had found his
cousin, and his cousin made Mary Cleo's cousin, because Cleo's
cousin--was----"

Realizing Mary was not in a mood for such joking, Madaline apologized
with a kiss on the softly pinked cheek. "Mary-love," she confessed, "I
just did that to ward off tears. Cleo would have disgraced the scouts
in another moment."

"We got the most important clew in the old bamboo cane," said Cleo,
seriously. "That was literally stuffed with papers, and one was a
baptismal certificate, giving your name, Mary, as Marie Hastings
Dunbar."

"Dunbar!" repeated Mary, "and the men all called daddy Dunnie. That
was his name, Dunbar!"

"Yea, and Aunt Audrey has found out that Constance Hastings, your
mother's mother, is in one of the finest hotels in New York now! The
Hastings own the most famous orchid collection in this country."

"They are millionaires," began Mary, but her voice was almost scornful.

"Yes, I know. Aunt Audrey has talked with Mrs. Gilmore Hastings over
the telephone. She will be apt to take you from us, if you don't hold
tight."

"Never! Never! Never!" defied Grace. "She is our Mary--yes, cousin
Mary, for isn't Cleo's Aunt Audrey our Aunt Audrey--by vacation scout
laws?"

Only the girls that they were could have absorbed so many surprises at
a sitting, but such is the nature of nature's best product, and that
product is always lively, happy girls!

What happened between that time and next morning would take volumes to
relate, but it might as well be admitted that Jennie had to fairly camp
out in the hall that night to stop the talking, and it was away past
midnight when she succeeded. Even then it would be false to claim that
Mary actually slept.

Early in the evening Mrs. Dunbar had very carefully unfolded the story
to Professor Benson when he came down over the mountain in the car Mrs.
Dunbar had ordered. So that he, too, was somewhat prepared for the
astounding surprise. The return of Jayson Dunbar from the mystery of
orchid land seemed almost too wonderful, but the Professor admitted he
had always hoped Jay would "turn up."

"And every letter I wrote