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"Thank heaven!" said Sam

He was not comfortable, but co, well satisfied with the way things had happened, sat doheezing slightly, to await develop to wait In a few minutes the hall had filled up nicely There was Mr Mortimer in his shirt-sleeves, Mr Bennett in his pyja costuun, and Billie in a dinner dress Smith welconett stared speechlessly at the nett! What are you doing here?"

Mrs Hignett drew herself up stiffly

"What an odd question, Mr Mortimer! I am in my own house!"

"But you rented it to me for the summer At least, your son did"

"Eustace let you Windles for the sunett, incredulously

Jane Hubbard returned fro off the orchestrion

"Let us talk all that over cosily to-lars in the house"

"Burglars!" cried Mr Bennett aghast "I thought it was you playing that infernal instrument, Mortimer"

"What on earth should I play it for at this tiht?" said Mr Mortimer irritably

It appeared only too evident that the two old friends were again on the verge of one of their distressing fallings-out: but Jane Hubbard intervened onceof side-issues into the conversation She was there to talk about burglars, and she intended to do so

"For goodness sake stop it!" she said, almost petulantly for one usually so superior to e to-ot to catch these"

"I'," said Mr Bennett

"Yes, you are," said Mr Mortiuing!"

"You are!"

"I'm not!"

Jane Hubbard had practically every noble quality which a woman can possess with the exception of patience A patient wo the dialogue Jane Hubbard's robuster course was to raise the elephant-gun, point it at the front door, and pull the trigger

"I thought that would stop you," she said complacently, as the echoes died away and Mr Bennett had finished leaping into the air She inserted a fresh cartridge, and sloped arms "Now, the question is"