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218 missing pawnbroker and Mendez. Nothing more had been heard of either.

"Too bad," Ruth declared. "I suppose, though, I might as well keep quiet about the loss of it until some one of my folks notice that it's gone," she said. "It will be time enough then to confess, though I suppose I'll be in for a wigging from grandmother for keeping still about it so long."

"Yes, it can't do any harm to keep quiet now," decided Tom, "and something may turn up at any minute."

"Then you really have some hope, Tom?"

"Yes—a little," he admitted. "But I can't talk about it, Ruth. It involves others."

"Oh, tell me Tom! I'll keep it a secret!" she pleaded.

"No, really I can't," he said, and though she made it rather hard for him, he kept to his resolve.

"It is time your friends left, young ladies!" announced the rather rasping voice of Miss Philock, a little later. "I have been lenient with you to the extent of ten minutes, but now I must insist."

"Thank you for your kindness," exclaimed Phil, with a low bow. "We greatly appreciate it."

"I am glad that you do," declared the preceptress, not allowing a smile to change the hard