Walter and the Wireless

o

ectre of discharge and all the disgrace that accompanied it. He could have tossed his cap into the air for very joy and gratitude. In his relief he was bursting to talk to somebody, and as he had permission to use the telephone in order to keep in touch with his f

door he glanced into t

and called the Seaver Bay station. In another

Walter

the matt

the matter but it is all over no

ead. What do y

now how to start." The

e not

, n

orever, son, so break away and t

try to

tongue and he continued to the end of it without interruption from his distant lis

to walk about

es

retur

n half-past four

body about the pl

enough even Jerry, who usually is on deck, had a

he

somebody he didn't know at all and he co

e interrogation w

couldn't make head nor tail out of the message he hung up the receiver. Nobo

ell Mr. Crownins

too busy about Lola to

ss, I would

t wouldn't i

ou tell him. Do you know whether

't dare ask him what

kid. It's a pity they've lost the dog. You take mighty good care

ry. And

o long! If they get a line on the thief you might

-by,

ve blurted out, "That's you all over!" or "Trust you to get into a mess!" But Bob never enjoyed seeing somebody else miserable. Instead he al

avel path to greet the clamoring pack of

, eh? I'm not very late. Only a quarter of an hour. It isn't late enough to warrant your making such a fuss. Down, Achilles! What's t

to enter the room where the food was ke

to shake the creature off. "What is it? Are you clean starved? If you

og refuse

y in the lad's pathway h

gate, sniffed, and

quired Walter, regarding the great creature i

e, and that was to be released from the wire enclosure in which he was penned and left free to follow some plan of his own which evidently absorbed him. So insiste

d to himself, "and is going to dig it up. Just why he prefe

one, either. On the contrary he was hot, breathless, and panting from what had obviously been a long run through the woods

eh, old boy?" commented Walter. "Go

ommonly evoked. He neither wagged his tail nor stretched his jaws into

the matter?" asked the boy, coming to

ch, however, than the Belgian rac

ut, do you? Got so

lles barke

ve just been to walk and am tired as the deuce. What

to the turf. Instantly an exultant bark came from Achilles and he dashed away, only to return and take the lead through the woods, his nose to the ground and his ears erect. The boy followed.

d paused. He had no mind to scramble through the tall salt grass or sink ankle deep in the stretch of sand that adjoined it. But Achilles compelled. It w

n, been reached. What was it all about? For a moment dog and man faced one another. Then, glancing about, His Highness gave a little cry. There were footprints in the sand,-deep footprints that the

nificance of the discovery rose before his

ut a daring robbery. Perhaps he had been lingering concealed about the gardens all day or even many days. Who could tell? At any rate, he had chosen a propitious moment, provided himself with a skeleton key, an

back to Surfside. Mr. Crowninshield, irritable

ou a moment, sir?

tant. I'm in a rush

's abou

then, if you have

told h

ur part might undo everything and ruin our cause. Nobody is going to be caught red-handed with that dog in his possession. Rather than be trapped he would kill her. We mustn't let that happen. We shall follow up our man quietly without letting him suspect that he is being watched. That is the only way we can hope to get the pup back again. So mind you hold your tongue. Not a word to anybody

ld he confess that he had already te

ff there at Seaver Bay. Besides, he himself could ring him up and ca

y and harm was done? Certainly

ook a big

e," he blurted out miserably. "I didn't know it wo

l? We're in a nice mess now! If the story gets about and the police start to track down the thief

r. I had no idea it

it now, haven't you?" i

ee what y

ld heaved an ex

now, I guess,

e and another fellow have a house out on a point of land a long way off from everywhere. They couldn

re i

ver

minute, isn't there a wirele

r. My br

into the house and call him up. When you get t

he lad lingered. "I'm-I'm

blundered. But blunders are expensive things sometime

Highness d

aiting for?" asked hi

you that Jerry had a telep

ot to do with it?" burst out Mr. Crow

Bob just said

head

ted the facts of the m

hearing the story, and Walter saw him smile. "That was neat of them, very! Th

he

ster. It was a Broc

what Jerry

gives us a

rmation had put the mas

is spilled yet and perhaps it won't be if you have as wise a big brother as it appears. I might never have known of Jerry's message but for him. Jerry himself would not h

I meant no harm;

remembered you are not a man's age and cannot be expected to have the judgment that goe

th roll from his brow. Truly, as Jerry had affirmed, Mr. Crowninshield's rages were