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 *ber. At this point Crusty Sides, with an air of outrage, sternly interposed. "But a pawty claims it. And here's his ticket."

"The ticket's mine," said June, in a fierce whisper. "It's been taken from my purse."

"Nothin' to do with us, that ain't," said Crusty Sides.

"But you do remember my bringing it, don't you?" Beseechingly June turned to Green Corduroy And he, that nice-looking young man, with a frown of ever-deepening perplexity, slowly affirmed that he thought he did remember.

"The ticket's what we've got to go by," said Crusty Sides, sternly. "Nothin' else matters to us."

"If you'll look at it," said June to Green Corduroy, "you'll see that it's made out in your writing."

Green Corduroy looked and saw that it was. As far as he was concerned, that seemed to clinch the argument. And even Crusty Sides, a born bureaucrat, was rather impressed by it. "You say this here ticket's been taken off on you?" he asked.

"Yes," said June in an excited whisper. "By my wicked thief of an uncle."

Instantly she regretted the imprudence of her words.

"Uncle a thief, eh?" proclaimed Crusty Sides, in a voice of such carrying power that to June it seemed that the Old Crocodile could hardly fail to hear him.

"Anyhow, this gentleman knows that it was I who brought the parcel," she said, determinedly to Green Corduroy.

That young man looked her straight in the eye, and then declared that he did know. Further, like many minds "slow in the uptake," when once in motion they are prone to deep conclusions. "Seems to me, Nobby,"