me into any of the
rooms where we were. He could tell which rooms had people in them
by hearing us breathing through the keyholes. He finds two rooms
empty, and probably he made a thorough search of Miss Cora's
first. But he isn't after silver toilet articles and pretty little
things like that. He wants really big booty or none, so he decides
that an out-of-the-way, unimportant room like Miss Laura's is
where the family would be most apt to hide valuables, jewellery
and silver, and he knows that mattresses have often been selected
as hiding-places; so he gets under the bed and goes to work. Then
Miss Cora and Miss Laura come in so quietly--not wanting to wake
anybody--that he doesn't hear them, and he gets caught there.
That's the way it must have been."

"But why," Mrs. Madison inquired of this authority, "why do you
suppose he lit the lamp?"

"To see by," answered the ready Miss Peirce. It was accepted as
final.

Further discussion was temporarily interrupted by the discovery
that Hedrick had fallen asleep in his chair.

"Don't bother him, Cora," said his mother. "He's finished
eating--let him sleep a few minutes, if he wants to, before he
goes to school. He's not at all well. He played too hard,
yesterday afternoon, and hurt his knee, he said. He came down
limping this morning and looking very badly. He oughtn't to run
and climb about the stable so much after school. See how utterly
exhausted he looks!--Not even this excitement can keep him awake."

"I think we must be careful not to let Mr. Madison suspect
anything about the burglar," said Miss Peirce. "It would be bad
for him."

Laura began: "But we ought to notify the police----"

"Police!" Hedrick woke so abruptly, and uttered the word with such
passionate and vehement protest, that everybody started. "I
suppose you want to _kill_ your father, Laura Madison!"

"How?"

"Do you suppose he wouldn't know something had happened with a
squad of big, heavy policemen tromping all over the house? The
first thing they'd do would be to search the whole place----"

"Oh, no," said Mrs. Madison quickly. "It wouldn't do at all."

"I should think not! I'm glad," continued Hedrick, truthfully,
"_that_ idea's out of your head! I believe Laura imagined the
whole thing anyway."

"Have you looked at her mattress," inquired Cora, "darling little
boy?"

He gave her a concentrated look, and rose to leave. "Nothin' on
earth but imagina----" He stopped with a grunt as