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96 ' man and doing Mexican 'push-work' on the 'edge'. Pretty good; eh?"

"Yes," laughed Ruth. "I can see where we girls spend a great deal of our time this Summer."

"So can I," declared her companion, boldly. "With us fellows."

"Oh, you're not at all conceited; are you?"

"I didn't know it," went on Tom, tantalizlngly. "But say, do you know I didn't much like that fellow, for all his fine airs."

"Why not, pray? I thought him quite polite."

"He was—altogether too polite," murmured the lad, with a little more force than seemed necessary. "I don't like foreigners, anyhow."

"Well, I could forgive anyone, even a foreigner, if I could get back my brooch," sighed Ruth. "I don't know what I'm going to do about it."

"It is too bad," agreed Tom. "Now, Ruth, we won't say anything about what happened today, and if you promise not to tell, I'll whisper a secret."

"Oh, Tom, of course I won't tell—you know that!" and she looked reproachfully at him.

"Of course—I was only joking. Well, we four fellows are trying to do a little detective work, and recover the stolen jewelry."

"You are?"

"Yes, and if we do we may get back your brooch."