“He isn’t a very fair sort of man, even if he has his machine at a county fair,” joked Uncle Daniel.

“He’s terribly ugly,” blurted out Bob Guess.  “And I think he’s worse than that!”

“What do you mean?” asked Bert.

“Well, I think he takes things that don’t belong to him,” went on Bob.  “Your father lost a coat some time ago, didn’t he?” the strange boy asked the older Bobbsey twins.

“Yes, at our Sunday school picnic,” answered Nan.

“And a lap robe was taken from our auto about the same time,” added Bert.

“That’s what I thought,” said Bob.  “Well, would you know any of your father’s papers if you saw them?” he asked, as he began to fumble in his pocket.  “I mean would you know his writing on a letter, or something like that?”

“Of course I know my father’s writing!” declared Bert.

“Well, look at this!” said Bob Guess suddenly.  He held out an envelope, torn open at one end as if the letter had been taken out.

“That’s father’s writing!” exclaimed Bert.  “This is a letter he wrote to Mr. Clarkson who buys lumber from dad.  I know, for I’ve been in the office when he called.  I guess my father must have been in a hurry and he addressed this letter himself with a pen, and didn’t wait for his typewriter to do it.  That’s my father’s writing!”

“Well,” said Bob slowly, “I found that letter in the tent where Mr. Blipper and I live.  We sort of camp out at the different fair grounds where we set up the merry-go-round,” he added.  “I have to live with Mr. Blipper.  He claims I’m his adopted son, but I don’t like him for an adopted father.  Anyhow, I saw this letter drop out of his coat.  He didn’t see it, and I picked it up.”

“Was it my father’s coat?” asked Nan.

“That I don’t know,” Bob answered.  “I never saw your father wearing his coat.  But Mr. Blipper used to have an old ragged coat, and right after we had that breakdown at the Sunday school picnic grounds he had a new coat.

“I asked him where he got it, ’cause I thought maybe he’d get me one, I was so ragged, and he said it wasn’t any of my affair where he got his coats.  Then the next day I noticed he had a new robe as a blanket for his bed.  I asked him about that, too, ’cause I had only a ragged quilt, and he told me to keep still.

“So when you folks asked me if I had seen your father’s coat and the lap robe I didn’t know for sure, and, anyhow, I was afraid to say anything.  But I’m not afraid any more.”

“Why not?” asked Uncle Daniel.

“’Cause,” answered Bob, “I heard Mr. Blipper and his partner, a man named Hardy, quarreling to-day.  First it started over bad business on account of the rain and nobody riding on the merry-go-round because the balloon was going up.  Then I heard my name mentioned and the quarrel grew worse.  Mr. Hardy said Mr. Blipper didn’t have any right to treat me as mean as he does.  Mr. Blipper said he’d do as he pleased, and then Mr. Hardy said if he did he’d tell on Mr. Blipper.”