Page:The House On The Cliff.pdf/80

 morning and had hoped that he would lay a plan of campaign before them. They went to school in disappointment.

On the way they met Callie Shaw and Iola Morton, two girls who were particular friends of the boys. Callie Shaw, a brown-eyed, brown-haired girl was an object of special enthusiasm with Frank, who was apt to cast an appreciative eye upon the other sex, while Iola, a plump, dark girl, a sister of Chet Morton's, was "all right, as a girl," in Joe's reluctant opinion.

Chet had told his sister about the affair at the Polucca place on the previous Saturday, and she, in turn, had told Callie.

"Well, how are the ghost-hunters this morning?" asked Callie.

"Fine," replied Frank, with a smile.

"What a brave bunch of boys you all are!" exclaimed the girl. "Running away from an empty house!"

"That house wasn't empty!" put in Joe warmly. "I suppose you think our motorcycle tools walked away!"

"Somebody played a pretty good practical joke on you. Just wait till you get to school. Whoever played that trick will be sure to tell everybody."

"Oh, well, we can stand it. If Chet Morton hadn't been with us at the time I would have blamed him. It's like one of his pet ideas."