"I've eaten so much of that cream and
cantaloupe that I haven't a cubic inch of space left for anything
else."

Nevertheless the high school boys parted, going their various
directions, after having agreed to meet by seven o'clock. All
wanted to be on hand when Prescott got back to town.

After supper Greg had not been out of the house five minutes when
Mr. Hibbert appeared at the gate of the Holmes cottage, and passed
inside. The caller inquired for Greg's father, met that gentleman,
and the two remained in private conversation for some five minutes.

Ere the first minute was over, however, Greg's father might have
been heard, from the sidewalk, laughing uproariously. Finally
Mrs. Holmes was called into the conference. She came forth again,
looking somewhat amused.

From that meeting Hibbert went back to Main Street, where he fell
in with Tom Colquitt.

"Are you satisfied, now?" demanded the latter.

"I'm puzzled," replied Hibbert, with the air and tone of a man
who hates to give up a delusion.

Colquitt and Hibbert had not gone a block and a half ere they
encountered Dave, Tom and the others, only Dick being absent from
the gathering of the chums. Curiously, too, the meeting took
place before the same ice cream shop.

"Just in time to have some more cream, boys," suggested young
Mr. Hibbert.

"And we'd enjoy it, too, thank you," responded Tom courteously,
"but there is a point, sir, past which it would be imposition
to go. So we are going to content ourselves with enjoying a very
pleasant recollection of the good time we had with you this afternoon."

"Better come inside with us," urged Mr. Colquitt. "I notice a
table, away over in the corner, where we can be by ourselves.
You see, boys, after what Hibbert said to one of your number
this afternoon, we feel that an explanation is due to you. We
can explain inside much better than we could on a street corner."

That crowbar of curiosity wedged the boys away from their fear
that they were accepting too much from strangers. So they followed
their mysterious conductors inside. Young Mr. Hibbert ordered
ices similar to those that had been enjoyed that afternoon. Then
Mr. Colquitt, with a brisk air, began:

"Concerning that suspicion that young Holmes might be the missing
heir to a large sum of money, I'll tell you how Mr. Hibbert got
his idea."

Then, as though fearing that he had made too great a promise,
Mr. Colquitt paused.

"It's this way