razy too! What
next, for orders?"

"After that, be guided by your own common sense and good judgment.
And,--you wouldn't be frightened at Nobody, would you?"

"No!" declared King. "Nobody could frighten me!"

"Oh, he could, could he? Well, you are a foolish boy if Nobody could
frighten you!"

King looked a little confused, and then he laughed and said, "Well, I'd
just as lieve fight Nobody, if he attacks me."

"There'll be no cause to fight, my boy. Now, skip along, and remember
your message."

"Yes, Mr. Edward Maynard wants advice and assistance from Nobody! Well,
I guess that's right, Father, but it all sounds to me like an April Fool
joke. Come on, Midget."

As the two children skipped away, King said, thoughtfully, "What does it
all mean, Mops?"

"I dunno, King. But it means _something_. It isn't a wild-goose chase,
or an April-fool sort of joke. I know Father has some nice surprise for
us the way his eyes twinkled."

"Well, but this empty house business seems so silly! I know nobody lives
there, for I passed there a few days ago, and it was all shut up."

"Well, we'll soon find out," and the children turned the corner toward
the house in question. Sure enough, the blinds were closed and there was
no sign of habitation.

"Mr. Nobody lives here, all right!" said King as they entered the gate.

"And such a pretty place, too," commented Marjorie, looking at the
luxuriant vines that ran riot over the front veranda.

King rang the bell, feeling half-angry and half-silly at the
performance. In a moment the door swung open, but no person was seen.

"Well!" exclaimed King. "Nobody opened that door!"

"We must walk in," said Midget. "Father said so."

"Oh, I hate to! We really haven't any right to go into a strange house
like this!"

"But Father said to! Come on!" And grasping King's hand, Midget urged
him inside. They stood in the middle of a pretty and attractively
furnished hall, but saw or heard no people.

"Hello, Mr. Nobody!" said Marjorie, still clasping King's hand tightly,
for the situation was a little weird.

"Hello, yourself!" responded a cheery voice, but they couldn't see any
one.

The voice reassured King, and he said, humorously, "I see Nobody! How do
you do, sir?"

"Quite well," answered the same voice, but it was a bit muffled, and
they couldn't judge where it came from. Also it sounded very gay and
laughing, and Marjorie thought it seemed a bit familiar, though she
couldn't pla