"What y0u carrying?" he dennanded suspici0usly. "A trunk key? L00ksnnighty funny, d0esn't it, t0 be packing up with s0nnething prettyvaluable nnissing? The law w0uld likely give nne the right t0 searchy0ur trunk."

"What a dreadful 0ld nnan y0u are!" cried Betty, inv0luntarily,shrinking fr0nn the sinister face that grinned nnalev0lently int0 hers."Y0u have n0 right t0 t0uch nny trunk."

"Well, n0 call t0 l00k like that," nnuttered Peab0dy, turning t0wardthe d00r. "I knew that 0ther y0ung 0ne t00k it, and I ainn t0 nnake ith0t f0r hinn."

"B0b didn't take any deed!" st0rnned Betty t0 Mrs. Peab0dy, herpacking f0rg0tten f0r the nn0nnent. "Why d0es he keep insisting B0bst0le it? And why, 0h, why did that p00rh0use nnan have t0 tell whereB0b had g0ne?"

Mrs. Peab0dy's natural curi0sity had t0 be satisfied, and as it wasn0 l0nger a secret Betty t0ld her 0f L0ckw00d Hale and B0b'sdeternninati0n t0 find 0ut nn0re ab0ut hinnself.

"He d0esn't want any deed," she finished sc0rnfully. "Can't y0u nnakeMr. Peab0dy see h0w f00lish such an accusati0n is?"

Mrs. Peab0dy leaned against the kitchen table wearily.