Guilt of the Brass Thieves

OBLEM

see Sally leap nimbly across a wide space to the dock. There she looped a

passengers pleasantly, but in

und a child who had become separated from his mother, and refused pas

the line," she told them fi

a date?" one o

. Raising the gangplank, she sign

muttered disapprovingly. "To watch her per

ung lady," commented Mr. Parker. "After all,

ased to fall, but deep shadows blotted out the river shores. Watching fro

and there?" she in

d briefly. "In the spring during the flood

ines had been stilled and the ferry was drifting in toward the is

he old boy intends to take her in through

ve already caused the Barkers great inconvenience. Surely there is no

g it this way," Jack muttered. "He and Sally both like to show off. It wouldn't sur

herself at the bow of the River Quee

t!" she called. "Seve

" Jack murmured. "We'

ferryboat grated on

urbed. "Let 'er have it!" he shouted throug

way through the sand. For one terrifying moment it seemed that she had wedg

at Jack. "I knew Pop could make it," she chuck

ion of piloting," Mr. Parker decl

r dock," Jack replied. "I guess Captain Bar

ile Mr. Parker and Penny were thanking Captain Barker, Sally helped Jack and one of the sailor

er," chuckled Captain Barker. "But I calculate they'll out

ore, and with Jack, watched until the River Queen had safely

, gray-haired man came hurriedly down a flagstone

ping his outstretched hand. "This is my daugh

casual interest. But as he spoke, his puzzled gaze followed

k said before his father could request an explanati

call warning you this afternoon that

is father could reprimand him further, he di

s behavior. As he led the way to the house, he apologized so p

declared, trying to put an end to

ny sincerely. "It was a pleasure to m

fused to aband

st seventeen, but in some respects he has no responsibility. He'

h Sally Barker very well," Penny re

ip. Jack has the idea that because she isn't the product of a finishing school, she is b

Parker said warmly. "He'l

ainly do." His expression conveyed the i

was a long, narrow terrace which caught the breeze and commanded a view of the river f

sing to indicate the twinkling shore lights across the water. "If it were daytime, you co

is chief competito

ually matched, I should say. The

silver-haired woman not yet in her fifties

said sympathetically. "The storm came up so quickly. My husband

xuriously furnished with a green tiled bath adjoining. Pulling a silken cord to open the Venetian blin

" she asked Effie who was l

Miss. Since I came here to work, the only home

cked, carefully hanging up each garment. Penny

er dine until eight. I will draw

st her composure. "Make it pine,"

ifteen minutes in a steaming bath, she felt as fresh as ever. Her golden hair curled in ringlets tight to he

able to brush my own teeth," she thought.

d nearly a hundred miles away in a city called Riverview, and Mrs. Weems, the hou

ly newspaper, the Star, and his daughter frequently hel

ion with members of the Gandiss family, feeling that they were pract

n the grate. Mr. and Mrs. Gandiss were chatting with M

announcement that dinner was served. Jack's chair

Gandiss asked his wife

e sighed. "The last I saw h

ence, he returned to say that the boy was nowhere

ndiss said irritably. "Probably to the Harpers'. You see w

t. An excellent dinner of six courses was served in perfect style,

study. His wife excused herself to go to the kitchen f

ly, Mr. Ga

you wonder why I rea

d, lighting a cigar. "Does your so

ledged. "It occurred to me that association with a sensible

sed hastily. "As Dad can tell you, I have

ed, "but I have even more serious ones

nny has built up quite a reputation for herself as an amate

!" Penny said

Mr. Gandiss immediatel

may be able to help me, because I've heard a great deal a

g good stories for our newspaper

In fact, we are particularly anxious to keep the facts from getting into print

at that moment someone rapped