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 legal complication when she had undue care of the baby for whose care he had assumed responsibility. He thought fast and hard and let the moment slip.

“You are all night, little Scout,” he said. “You are rather keen. I was worried last night and I didn’t sleep well. I was kind of keeping watch over our place and Margaret’s.”

“Isn’t Margaret back yet? Things look all shut up,” observed the Scout Master.

“I imagine she’s gone into the city to have a vacation visit with the Molly you’re always talking about,” said Jamie. “I’m taking care of things for her while she is gone.”

“I guess I’ll go over and take a look at my property,” said the Scout Master, grinning broadly at Jamie.

“All right,” said Jamie.

Neither of them had noticed that the interloper had passed Margaret Cameron’s while they were watering her garden and had unlocked the front door and entered the house of invitation. The Scout Master flew over the fence, trotted down the gravel walk, waved a salutation to the jacqueranda, and took the curve passing the front of the house for the very natural reason that the one acre which stood on the county records in the name of Jean Meredith lay on the right-hand side of the house as one approached it from the entrance. As the child crossed the walk, there was a noticeable movement in the living room and the whiff of an odour that acted on the little Scout as a stiff breeze of formic acid acts on the wild.