Part 13 (2/2)

”You're right, Lucien. I don't, but your sister is surely the greatest enigma of them all.”

I rented the stone fence farmer's ”autoo” and took Silvia and Diogenes to a neighboring town that afternoon. We didn't get back to the hotel until dinner time.

”What have you been up to all day, Rob?” I asked.

”Numerous things. For one, I strolled down to the haunted house.”

”What did you see?” cried the women.

”I saw four--”

”Ghosts?” asked Beth.

I shot him a warning glance.

”Young tomcats playing tag with the mice.”

I corralled Rob outside after dinner.

”For Heaven's sake!” I implored. ”Don't disturb Silvia's peace of mind. Did you go inside?”

”No; I was sorely tempted to, but refrained out of deference to the evident wishes of my host, but really, Lucien, we should--”

”I have only ten more days off, Rob. Don't make any unpleasant suggestions.”

”I won't,” he said promptly.

CHAPTER X

_In Which We Make Some Discoveries_

Diogenes, who, for a Polydore, had been quite placid since Ptolemy's departure, caused a commotion by disappearing the next morning. As he was possessed of a deep desire to go in the lake and get a little snake, he had been, when not under strict surveillance, tied to a tree with enough leeway in the length of rope to allow him to play comfortably.

By some means he had managed to work himself loose from the rope and had evidently followed Ptolemy's example. I suggested calling up Huldah and asking if he had arrived yet, but I met with such chilling glances from Silvia and Beth that I got busy and organized searching parties, who reluctantly and lukewarmly engaged in the pursuit. Rob and I took the sh.o.r.e. After we had walked some little distance, we met a woman and stopped for inquiry. She said she had seen a child of about two years, clad in a blue and white striped dress and a big hat, going over the hill in company with a boy of about eight.

”Are you going on to the hotel?” I asked.

On her replying that she was, I told her to inform them that she had met me and that the lost child was located.

Rob and I then kept on over the hill, and when we neared the haunted house, we heard hair-raising sounds.

”If I hadn't been here before,” remarked Rob, ”I should think that Sitting Bull had been reincarnated and was reviving the warrior war whoops.”

We paused on the threshold. A human windmill of whirling legs and arms--Polydore legs and arms--flashed before our eyes.

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