and
they'll run up and slip in, take what silver and jewelry they can
find in a hurry, pack it up careful and hide it away wherever you
say. Then when your wife gets back and finds 'em gone, there'll be
the d---- there'll be a row, and when she says it's her fault for
not leaving the servants in the house, and she'll never do it again,
then you say, 'All right, my dear, I'm glad you've learned your
lesson,' and step out and get the bag! How's that?' I said."

He put his hat on, drew a pair of gloves from his pocket, and looked
hard at Caroline; her answering glance was troubled and
non-committal. He scowled slightly and rested one hand on the bag.

"'All very well, Henry,' says Joe to me, 'but who's to do all this?
I don't know anyone that would dare to, let alone be willing,'" he
went on, glancing hurriedly around the room. "'You know as well as I
do that if they should get caught doing it, anybody would swear
'twas burglary plain and simple, and run' em right in. They'd call
the police. It would look bad for whoever did it, you know,' he
said."

"He might have asked me. I'd love to do it," Caroline muttered
resentfully.

As a matter of fact the scheme was sufficiently like many a
practical joke of her irrepressible uncle. Better than anyone,
Caroline, his conspirator elect, knew the lengths he was capable of
going to confound or scandalize his adjacent relatives.

"Of course," said the man, with relief in his voice, "that's why I
asked you if he hadn't. I guess he was afraid you wouldn't dare. I'd
have trusted you, though, myself."

She looked gratefully at him.

"Then, I said, 'Why, Joe, if that's the way you feel about it, I'll
do it myself,'" he concluded, lifting the suit-case from the
sideboard and grimacing at its weight. "'What's the good,' says I,
'of calling yourself a friend, if you can't run a little risk? Just
tell me the day to come and where you want 'em put--be sure you pick
a good safe place--and I'll 'tend to it for you,' I said, 'and
you'll do as much for me some day when I'm in a tight place.'"

He settled his hat firmly and moved to the long window.

"I'll have to hurry if I don't want to lose my train," he explained.

"But where's the place?" Caroline cried excitedly; "what place did
Uncle Joe pick out? Won't you tell me? I won't tell--truly, I
won't!"

The man paused with one hand on the window button, and looked
thoughtfully at her.

"By George," he announced, "I've a good mind