home. Oh, don't be alarmed! My
husband knows everything about our conspiracy. And we want you to come
back this afternoon. You know I owe you an apology for thinking--for
thinking you were--you were--a--"

"They's things wot is an' things wot ain't, miss. Circumstantial evidence
sends lots o' men to th' chair. Ut's a heap more happy like," The Hopper
continued in his best philosophical vein, "t' play th' white card, helpin'
widders an' orfants an' settlin' fusses. When ye ast me t' steal them jugs
I hadn't th' heart t' refuse ye, miss. I wuz scared to tell ye I had yer
baby an' ye seemed so sort o' trustin' like. An' ut bein' Chris'mus an'
all."

When he steadfastly refused to promise to return, Muriel announced that
they would visit The Hopper late in the afternoon and bring Billie along
to express their thanks more formally.

"I'll be glad to see ye," replied The Hopper, though a little doubtfully
and shame-facedly. "But ye mustn't git me into no more house-breakin'
scrapes," he added with a grin. "It's mighty dangerous, miss, fer
amachures, like me an' yer pa!"

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

X

Mary was not wholly pleased at the prospect of visitors, but she fell to
work with Humpy to put the house in order. At five o'clock not one, but
three automobiles drove into the yard, filling Humpy with alarm lest at
last The Hopper's sins had overtaken him, and they were all about to be
hauled away to spend the rest of their lives in prison. It was not the
police, but the young Talbots, with Billie and his grandfathers, on their
way to a family celebration at the house of an aunt of Muriel's.

The grandfathers were restored to perfect amity, and were deeply curious
now about The Hopper, whom the peace-loving Muriel had cajoled into
robbing their houses.

"And you're only an honest chicken farmer, after all!" exclaimed Talbot,
senior, when they were all sitting in a semicircle about the fireplace in
Mary's parlor. "I hoped you were really a burglar; I always wanted to know
a burglar."

Humpy had chopped down a small fir that had adorned the front yard and had
set it up as a Christmas tree--an attention that was not lost upon Billie.
The Hopper had brought some mechanical toys from town, and Humpy essayed
the agreeable task of teaching the youngster how to operate them. Mary
produced coffee and pound cake for the guests; The Hopper assumed the
role of lord of the manor with a benevolent air that was inte