le
girl."

Master Plummer entered the dwelling, and Dan paced to and fro on the
sidewalk, with a consequential air, until Joe appeared.

"Why don't you come in?" the latter asked. "Mrs. Weber--that's the name
of the lady who owns the house--is mighty nice, even if you can't talk
to her."

"I ain't so foolish as to show myself in such places, an' you ought'er
let your head be cut off before takin' all these chances."

"But we couldn't keep the princess out-of-doors from mornin' till night,
an'--"

"That's what's makin' all the trouble, Joe Potter. If you hadn't brought
the kid along we'd get through this scrape in good style."

"But I couldn't have left her in Plums's shanty alone."

"It was a fool business pickin' her up in the first place, 'cause if you
never'd done it, them lawyers couldn't say you had a kid with you.
That's the very best way they have to let folks know who you are.
Anyhow, you've got to give her the dead shake now, if you want me to
keep hold of this case."

"Then I'll have to get along the best I can without you, for I won't run
away from a poor little baby, who counts on my findin' her folks."

Joe spoke so decidedly that the amateur detective understood he could
not easily be turned from his purpose, and Master Fernald was
astonished. He had supposed that his threat to "drop the case" would
have reduced the unfortunate merchant to submission, and it seemed
little less than madness for Joe and Plums to continue the flight
without the guiding hand of one so wise as himself.

"Of course, if you don't want me, that settles it," he said, sulkily. "I
ain't throwin' my time away when folks had rather I wasn't 'round; but
you'll get into a heap of trouble without somebody what knows the ropes,
to steer you."

"I would like to have you with us, Dan; but I won't leave that poor
little princess when she needs me so much."

"But how you goin' to fix it nights? We've got to sleep outdoors mostly
all the time, an' she'd soon get wore up with that kind of knockin'
'round."

"Why must we sleep outdoors?"

Dan explained that the search for the supposed criminal was to be
prosecuted with such vigour that even Master Plummer was included in the
advertisements, which piece of news both alarmed and mystified Joe.

"What are they after him for? Does anybody claim he's been goin'
crooked?"

"I s'pose it's 'cause he let you sleep in his shanty. You see, Joe, the
lawyers are bound to nab you if the t