uld never do."

"No, another bird wouldn't do. And tomorrow--I wondered if tomorrow
you and Mary Rose wouldn't go off for the day in the car with Aunt Mary
and me? We might run down to Blue Heron Lake for dinner. Mary Rose
loves to motor."

"Why not take your aunt and Mary Rose? I'm afraid I----"

"Nothing doing!" he interrupted firmly. "Can't you trust me?" He
looked her straight in the eyes as he asked. "I swear I won't say a
word of love. We're friends now, you know, not--not lovers. And Mary
Rose adores you. She'd go through fire and water for you. Honest, she
wouldn't be contented with me and Aunt Mary, but I know it would be all
right if you were along."

She hesitated and bit her lip before she finally shrugged her shoulders
and said: "Oh, very well. I'll go for Mary Rose."

"I knew you would. I knew you'd see the big sister, the humanitarian
philanthropic friendly side of it." There was more than the hint of a
twinkle in his eyes. "And one more thing." Mr. Jerry firmly believed
in striking the iron before it had any chance to cool. "They have
goldfish for sale over at the drug store on Twenty-eighth Street.
Won't you walk over with me and help pick out a few? I'd like Mary
Rose to find them when she wakes up in the morning."

She did not hesitate over this request. Perhaps she realized what a
very persuasive way he had, for she laughed softly.

"I'll go. I'd do more than that for Mary Rose."

On the way they met Miss Carter and Bob Strahan returning from a
fruitless quest among the bird stores. But if they had not found Jenny
Lind they had explained the situation to the proprietors of the shops
and each of them had promised on his word of honor to telephone to Mr.
Strahan the very minute that a canary was offered for sale.

The four went together to the drug store and after the globe had been
bought and they had selected the half-dozen fish that were to live in
it, they loitered at a little table over their ice cream.

"Gosh!" suddenly exclaimed Bob Strahan. "I'm glad I'm not built on the
plans and specifications that produced old Wells. I shouldn't want the
theft of a kid's canary on my conscience."

"He will insist that Mr. Wells knows all about it," Miss Carter said
mournfully. She could not help but feel that she was to blame. If she
hadn't asked Mary Rose to bring up the parcel post package Jenny Lind
might never have disappeared.

"Why?" asked Mr. Jerry curiously.