None of the boys heard anything about the exciting events which were taking place at the tea-house until John Hadley and Wilkinson dropped in on Sunday evening about closing time. They were startled to find two policemen on the steps.  
“What has happened?” cried Jack, jumping immediately to the conclusion that the place had been robbed.
 
At that moment Marjorie appeared at the door and called them in, preferring to make her explanation herself. In a few words she related the facts.
 
“But why didn’t you call on us?” asked John, in a hurt tone.
 
“Simply because we have been too busy,” she replied, smiling. “Every minute has been taken up with something or other. But I did mean to call you both tonight, when I got home.”
 
“And what are you planning to do about it?” asked Jack.
 
“The policemen are staying here all night tonight, and we are giving the thing the widest possible. Every paper in the city is coming out with the story, and a picture of Anna; and we have offered a reward for her return.”
 
“I wish we could stay here!” muttered John. “We’d take more interest than those fat, sleepy policemen would!”
 
“Oh, I don’t think anything interesting will happen tonight,” said Marjorie. “Of course, one or two of the girls cling to the theory of the supernatural; and if that were the case, something would be likely to happen. But I don’t believe that.”
 
“But what could the be?” persisted John.
 
“I don’t know—I’m all at sea. Now you boys sit down while I go finish my work. It’s harder to get through without any cook, and with our increase in business.”
 
“And wait till tomorrow, after the people see the papers!” remarked Jack. “Come on, Hadley, let’s go inside and help. Give us a job, Sis.”
 
“Delighted!” Marjorie.
 
With this added assistance, the girls were able to finish earlier. Marjorie was particularly glad of the protection of the car in returning home, for her cash box was heavy from the receipts of the day, and Lily had been too tired to wait for her.
 
“You girls need a bit of fresh air,” remarked John, turning about to the three in the back seat. “Couldn’t we go for a spin?”
 
“That would be great!” cried Daisy, who felt worn out from the day’s excitement.
 
“But we mustn’t go far, or we’ll worry the people at home,” cautioned Marjorie. “Marie Louise would be sure that the ghost had translated us to another world.”
 
“Let’s stop and change seats,” suggested Jack. “I know Hadley is dying for your society, Sis, and I can’t deny that I’d like to be in the back seat with Ethel and Daisy.”
 
They rode for half an hour, both boys making a effort to distract the girls’ thoughts from their anxiety, but succeeding only , for the affair was uppermost in the minds of all.
 
When they got back to the house, they found all the rest of the on the porch.
 
“Any news?” asked Florence, eagerly.
 
“Just the question I was going to ask you,” returned Marjorie, laughingly.
 
“Yes, we have some news,” put in Alice. “Doris and Roger are home, and stopped in to see us.”
 
“Doris and Roger? When did they come back? And why didn’t they stay a while?”
 
“Oh, they only got back yesterday,” said Marie Louise; “and they have a lot to do.”
 
“Doris was rather keen about with the tea-room until we told her about last night,” said Florence, laughingly. “Then she made some excuse about being busy with the house—”
 
“And Roger encouraged her,” added Alice. “He didn’t seem to like the idea a bit of having his little wife in danger.”
 
“Can’t blame him for that!” muttered John, sympathetically.
 
“Marjorie,” said Lily, very seriously, “I have a suggestion to make. We’ve been talking it over here before you got back, and Marie Louise and Doris and Florence all approved—that it would be best to close the tea-house before anything else happens. I know dad doesn’t care a thing about his loan; so we could just keep all the money we made and give it to Daisy for the baby. I think we’d have enough, and there wouldn’t be any danger of any of us following Anna.”
 
“No! No!” cried Marjorie. “I couldn’t give up now, Lil! Your father’s awfully generous, I know, and would be willing to give us the money; but I couldn’t accept it. And I feel as if we just have to solve this mystery!”
 
“At the price of some girl’s life?” asked Marie Louise. “No, Marjorie, it isn’t worth it!”
 
“And all sorts of problems are going to arise,” added Florence. “First of all, we have no cook—and with these stories going around it isn’t likely that anyone will want the job; then, there’s the difficulty of the different girls’ vacations—they’re already arranged for; and without being able to hire extra people we’ll all be dead tired most of the time. And, last of all, there’s our mothers.”
 
“Our mothers?” repeated Marjorie. “I don’t see—”
 
“Why, when they read about all these wild doings in the papers they’re going to write us to come home immediately. Indeed, I expect to get a telegram tomorrow.”
 
Marjorie was silent; the arguments seemed ; the majority overwhelmingly against her. And when Lily was among the opponents, then she felt beaten indeed.
 
But she had forgotten Ethel Todd.
 
“Girls,” said the latter; “I do not believe you are right. I think we would be cowards to run away now, to think only of ourselves, and not at all of Anna. The best way to get her back is to stick to our jobs and keep on the trail. Of course, we want to take every precaution; but I really don’t see any danger. We’re not babies—and we have the boys to help us.”
 
“Indeed you have!” cried Jack, staunchly.
 
Marjorie cast Ethel a grateful look; she felt already as if the battle were won.
 
“Let us help you out in the evenings,” offered John. “In the kitchen—doing the rough work, and the cleaning. What are we here for, anyhow?”
 
“Do you mean it?” cried Marjorie, .
 
“We certainly do!” said Jack. “And let the girls go on their vacations as they had planned.”
 
“Just for a little while, then,” urged Marjorie. “To await developments. It would mean so much to me! Will you, girls?”
 
“I will!” announced Daisy.
 
“And I!” added Ethel.
 
“I will too,” said Lily, after some .
 
“You can count on me,” remarked Alice.
 
“And Florence and Marie Louise start on their vacations tomorrow, anyhow,” said Marjorie. “So I guess we’re all right. I think I’ll put an ad in the paper tomorrow for a new cook. We may get an answer if I don’t mention the tea-house till I see the .”
 
“I—don’t—think—you’ll—need—a new cook!” remarked Ethel, slowly, with her eyes on a distant point. “If I’m not mistaken, I see your old cook coming back!”
 
“What?” cried Marjorie, jumping up in excitement. “Ethel, is it—can it be—?”
 
“Yes, it is Anna!” she repl............