res, and motioned to his twin to unhook the other end.

"Now I guess we'll fix Mr. Asa Lemm!" muttered Andy, and with a quick
move he came up behind the former teacher of Colby Hall and twisted
one end of the wire around a back button of Asa Lemm's cutaway coat.

By this time all of the others had gotten into the stage, and, being
somewhat in a hurry, the driver made a move as if to start away.

"Hi there! Wait till I get in!" shouted Asa Lemm and threw his bags
and his bundle into the stage. Then he got on to the stage step and
the driver started off.

"Hello, look at that!"

"Say, what is that fellow dragging behind him?"

"Hi, Mr. Gasaway! That fellow is running away with your magazines!"

"Talk about the tail of a kite--this beats any kite tail I ever saw!"

[Illustration: "TALK ABOUT THE TAIL OF A KITE--THIS BEATS ANY
KITE TAIL I EVER SAW!" _Page 139_]

Such were some of the cries that rent the air as the stage started
away from the depot. On the step, clutching the handrails, was Asa
Lemm, and streaming out behind him was the wire, loaded with magazines
and picture papers.

"Hi you! Come back here!" roared the stand keeper in bewilderment.
"What do you mean by running off with my stuff? Come back, I say!"
and, throwing up a flap of the counter, he ran out of his stand and
after the auto-stage.

Asa Lemm did not know what to make of the hullaballoo. People were
rushing toward the stage from all directions, and many were pointing
their fingers at him. He felt a tug in the rear, but could not put his
hand back to the button on which the wire was fastened for fear of
falling from the stage step.

"Stop that stage! Stop that stage, I tell you!" bawled the newsstand
keeper. "He's running off with my magazines!"

And then the crowd set up a roar of laughter.

"I ain't got no time to waste. I'm behind time already!" yelled back
the auto-stage driver. "What do you want, anyway?"

"Oh, my! did you ever?" screamed Martha, dropping several of the
postcards she had purchased.

"Just look at all those magazines dangling after that man!" screamed
Mary. And then, as she caught sight of Andy and Randy, both doubled up
with laughter, she continued: "I'm sure those twins must have done
it!"

Jack and Fred had also come up, and both were on a broad grin. In the
meanwhile the stage moved on with Asa Lemm still dragging the wire and
the periodicals attached to it behind him.

"Hurrah! he believes in loading up on