"What do you suppose is the matter?" exclaimed Katy. She departed to see, followed by Gertie. The sound of fresh disturbances floated in from the cuisine. Dr. Morton grew curious and went out to investigate. Sherm came back as far as the front door and stood waiting.

Presently, Mrs. Morton entered, flushed and annoyed.

"It's the queerest thing I ever heard of--that entire baking of bread has vanished. Annie is perfectly honest and she knew we were expecting to send a loaf to the Captain. You haven't seen any tramps about, have you, Sherm? You don't suppose the dogs could----" Mrs. Morton glanced suspiciously at Buz asleep on the path outside.

"Nonsense, Mother, the dogs couldn't get away with whole loaves of bread and leave no trace. They are not overly fond of bread, anyhow."

"Possibly Annie may have put it in some unheard-of place--girls are so exasperating. I'll go look again."

A third search was no more successful than the previous ones had been.

They were obliged to send the boys on without the bread.

Both Chicken Little and Gertie mourned, for they had combined forces in this baking and were immensely proud of their effort.

"We never can get it so nice again--I just know!"

Mrs. Morton had been studying. "You don't suppose the boys could have meddled with it, do you?"

Katy looked up with a gleam in her eye. "They were laughing about something fit to kill just before supper and they wouldn't tell what it was."

"But why--I don't see." Mrs. Morton was puzzled.

"To tease the girls, possibly. But I don't see how they could make away with four big loaves without being noticed."

"If Ernest Morton took that bread, I'll never forgive him as long as I live!" Chicken Little's jaw set ominously. "You just watch me get even."

"Come now, Chicken Little, we're merely guessing the boys took it. Annie may have put it away in a new place, forgetting that you would want it to-night," her father tried to pacify her.

Gertie didn't say much, but it was plain that she sympathized with Jane.

An hour later the three girls went out to the road to watch for the boys' return. The lads were evidently taking their time. Nine o'clock came--half-past nine--still no boys! Mrs. Morton came out and sent the girls in to bed. They were just dropping off to sleep when the lads drove up.

At breakfast the next morning the entire family fell upon Ernest and Sherm and demanded news of the bread. Annie had returned and a.s.sured Mrs. Morton that it had been safely stored in the bread box before she left the house the evening before.

"Bread? What bread?" asked Ernest, rather too innocently.

"Ernest Morton, you did something with that bread I was going to send the Captain. You have got to tell me where you hid it."

"Chicken Little Jane Morton, I give you my word of honor I didn't touch your old bread and I don't know where it is."

Ernest a.s.sumed a highly injured air. Sherm took a hasty swallow of water and nearly choked.

The family had come near believing Ernest, but Sherm's convulsed face roused their suspicion afresh.

"If you didn't, you got Sherm to," said Katy shrewdly. "That's what you were laughing about last night--I know it was."

"That's like a girl always suspecting a fellow of being up to some deviltry. Maybe you think we'll keep on feeding your old pigs if you treat us this way."

Dr. Morton scanned the boys closely, but did not say anything.

Jane and Katy turned on Sherm.

"Did you take the bread?" Chicken Little had fire in her eye.

Sherm tried guile. "Chicken Little, do I look hungry enough to steal your bread? Mrs. Morton has been feeding me on good things ever since I came, why should I want to make away with four loaves of bread?" Sherm was almost eloquent.

"Nevertheless," observed Katy, "you don't deny that you took it."

Try as they would, they could get no satisfaction from the boys.

"Well, I know they did and I'm going to make 'em wish they hadn't."

Chicken Little puckered up her brow to think hard.

"Of course they did or Sherm would have denied it instanter. Let's think up something real mean." Katy stood ready to second any effort.

Gertie had been in a brown study. "The boys are going off some place to-night. I heard Ernest ask your mother if she had cleaned that spot off his Sunday suit, where somebody spilled ice cream on him at the party."

"I bet they're going to see Mamie Jenkins ... they're trying to sneak off without our knowing it." Jane's indignation was not lessened by this news.

Katy leaned forward and whispered something.

Jane and Gertie clapped their hands.

"All right, the very thing."

At dinner the boys were rather surprised to find that the young ladies had dropped the subject of the bread. They were inclined to take it up again, but n.o.body seemed interested. Ernest was a little vexed to have his father say before them all: "It will be all right about Sherm's riding the bay, only don't stay out late, boys."

The girls went upstairs soon after dinner and there was much giggling from their room for the next two hours.

"Where ever can we put the clothes where they can't find them? They make such a big bundle."

"O Chicken Little, I've thought of something that will be better than hiding!" Katy's eyes sparkled with mischief as she unfolded her scheme.

"Let's hurry and fix a cord."

"There's a hook there already we can use. Mother had a hanging basket outside the window one summer."

"We can pretend to take a walk," added Katy.

"Pshaw, I want to hear them--it will be half the fun," Gertie objected.

"I said pretend--we will sneak back through the orchard. Of course, we'd have to be here to do it, Goosie."

That night Mrs. Morton had an early supper at the request of the boys.

Immediately after, they armed themselves with sundry pitchers of hot water and retired upstairs. The girls also disappeared.

All went well for some minutes except that Ernest cut himself in his haste to shave. Presently, a call for mother floated downstairs. Mrs.

Morton had gone across the road to visit with Marian. Receiving no reply, Ernest called again l.u.s.tily. Dr. Morton, coming in just then, replied:

"Your mother is not here, what do you want?"