The Corner House Girls on a Houseboat

ied out as the burly ruffian had snatched the packet of jewelry from her, and then fear seemed to paralyze her. But this was only

see? He has the je

or I'd have grabbed it away a

at that instant there came such a fierce blast of wind and such a blind

out and sent flapping in their faces by the erratic

laimed Agnes, and sh

to be heard above the racket made by the wind and rain. A momentary glimpse up and down t

th, vainly trying to get the

r attack, but they saw Myra Stetson, whose father kept a grocery, and it was i

she saw who it was. "I heard the door

up over the grocery, wh

h sisters, and, indeed, Ruth was planning to have Myra on one of the Civic Betterment committees. There had been some li

uth has!" exclaimed Agnes. "A

mean it!"

" said Ruth brokenly.

ins!" add

thlessly, the Corner House girls told the story o

th the box of jewelry we were ta

into our flat and you can telephone from there. Mr. Buckley is a specia

th. "And we must notify Mr. Howbridge.

"We were just going to start on a houseboat trip when

daughter. "But do come upstairs. Did y

oment and to raise the umbrella, the catch of which had been caught in some way,

me a shove,"

rd of!" declared Myra. "Those men must ha

't think of going to the bank with the jewelry ourselves unt

"I must tell father about it. There

re now ascending the stairs, the refractory umbrella

"It's to let, you know, and two men were in to look at

ed Ruth, and she and Agnes e

the men. Father said they came to look at the flat, and one of them remarked they had

trange?" said

a look, she warned her sister

apartment over the store and Mr. and Mrs

!" cried Mrs. Stetson. "Father, you'd better see if any more of th

s open, though. The lock needs fixing. It would be easy for any

to raise the umbrella. The men must have seen us, and, though they couldn't have known what was in the

the police after them. Father, you must telephone at once

e grocery downstairs made a careful examination of the upper premises, but, of course, discovere

the job," as he expressed it. He came, a burly figure in rubber boots and a glistening rubber coat, to the Stetson apartment,

ers when word of the robbery was telep

burly and not very well dressed. But it had all taken place so quickly and in such obs

ified of the occurrence, and the regular police force of Milton, no very large

returned from the Klondike had been to look at the vacant flat the day before. In appearanc

Mr. Howbridge was notified by telephone, and called in his automobile

jewelry!" exclaimed

ings of Dot's and Tessie's in the box, too,

er. "I am glad neither of you was harmed,"

aid the older girl. "One of the

nown what he was up to he wouldn't have got away so easily.

we get started on our houseboat trip the better. So if you'll come with me, I'll take you home, we can gather up the la

trip-now-after the robber

men should be arrested I can arrange to bring you back to identify them. I know how bad you feel, b

d Agnes, for she saw that h

hospitality the two sisters left in charge of Mr. Howbridge. As he had said, the rain was stopping, an

d omen," de

make the houseboat trip. Accordingly, after the two robbed ones had calmed down a little more, the last belongings were gathered together, Dot and Tess, who had considerably mussed their

sked Agnes, as the

received a letter from his uncle, the circus man, whic

urned from the Klo

rted off to seek his fortune, I don't know. Time will tell. But I am gla

wel box!" declared Agnes. "It was only because we were confuse

out it!" advise

, to find Neale waiting f

under gasoline instead of

aid Mr. Howbridge, with a

e, pointing down the towpath, while Dot and Tes

re they had taken shelter from the downpour, an

rmured Mrs. MacCall as she went up the "bridge," as

d. Mr. Howbridge had arranged for one of his men to come and drive b

e mules, after he had helped Neale haul up the gangpla

the boy through his hand

with a swishing sound up from the water into which it had dropped. T

e older folk, including Neale, went below to get things "shipshape a

" cautioned Mrs. MacCa

t!" they

e Bluebird was progressing slowly through the quiet

were all moving about, getting

it?" as

rd Tess calling,

the stairway that led from the upp

e mules is acting awful funny! I think he'