d Jimsy
were at home repairing the damage wrought to the Golden Butterfly, which,
it turned out, was very slight.

She was driving along a pretty stretch of road when she came across a
veritable fairyland of delicate pink wild roses intertwined with
honeysuckle and woodbine.

"Oh," cried Peggy, who simply worshipped flowers, "how beautiful; I must
take some of these home. They'll make all our garden things look mean and
shabby."

Stopping the car she alighted and was soon deep in her occupation of
gathering the fragrant posies. Suddenly she was startled by the sound of
a sobbing voice close at hand, and the next minute an angry male voice
could be heard also.

"I tell you I'll do nothing of the sort," the man was saying; "why should
I go and own up that I'm a thief or the next thing to it? At any rate
they'd have me put in jail for all the attempts I've made to interfere
with their aeroplane."

"It's Fanning Harding!" gasped Peggy, amazedly, "and Hester Gibbons," she
added the next instant as the girl's voice sobbed out:

"Well, if you won't, I will. I've been weak and foolish but I'm not
wicked. I'm going to tell Peggy Prescott all about it to-day and ask her
to forgive me."

"You'd better not," Fanning Harding's tone was threatening now.

"Well, what if I do?"

"You won't, I tell you. I'll have you locked up and charged with the
theft yourself."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, yes, I would. You've got that ruby and that is pretty good proof
that you stole it."

"It isn't so and you know it. I have been a weak, silly girl, that's all,
but I see it all now. And just to think if I hadn't overheard you and my
father talking that I might have gone on admiring you."

"Tell me you won't go to the Prescotts with the story or I'll----"

"Help! Help!"

The shrill cry came in Hester's tones.

Without quite realizing what she was doing, Peggy stooped and picked up a
heavy bit of stick that lay in the road beside her. Then she stepped
forward around a bend which had hitherto hidden the other two from her
sight. As she appeared Fanning had his hand on Hester's wrist and was
wrenching it cruelly.

"Oh! oh! Fanning, please let go!" Hester was crying.

"I will if you'll promise not to tell."

"There's no need for her to promise that, Fanning," said Peggy, "for I
have already heard enough for me to know that she has some connection
with the disappearance of the Bancroft diamonds."

"Oh, Peggy!" cried Hester, run