Carol began the story with keen relish.  “I woke up, and thought I heard some one in the room.  I supposed it was Prudence.  I said, ‘Prudence,’ and nobody answered, and everything was quiet.’  But I felt there was some one in there.  I nudged Lark, and she woke up.  He moved then, and we both heard him.  He was fumbling at the dresser, and our ruby rings are gone.  We heard him step across the room and into the closet.  He closed the door after him, didn’t he, Lark?”

“Yes, he did,” agreed Lark.  “His hand was on the knob.”

“So we sneaked out of bed, and went into Prudence’s room and woke her and Fairy.”  She looked at Connie, and blushed.  “Connie was asleep, and we didn’t waken her because we didn’t want to frighten her.  We woke the girls,—­and you tell the rest, Prudence.”

“We didn’t believe her, of course.  We went back into their room and there was no one there.  But the rings were gone.  While they were looking at the dresser, I remembered that I forgot to lock the dungeon door, where we keep the money and the silverware, and I ran down-stairs and slammed the door and locked it, and went back up.  I didn’t hear a sound down-stairs.”

Mr. Allan laughed heartily.  “Well, your burglar was in that closet after the money, no doubt, and he didn’t hear you coming, and got locked in.  Did you make any noise coming down the stairs?”

“No.  I was in my bare feet, and I tried to be quiet because if there was any one in the house, I did not want him coming at me in the dark.  I ran back up-stairs, and we looked in father’s room.  I thought father had forgotten to take his watch with him, but it wasn’t there.—­Do you really think it was Sunday he forgot it, Fairy?”

“No,” said Fairy, “it was there this afternoon.  The burglar’s got it in the dungeon with him, of course.—­I just said it was Sunday to keep from scaring the twins.”

In a few minutes, they heard footsteps around the house and knew the officers had arrived.  Mr. Allan let them into the house, four of them, and led them out to the hall.  There could be no doubt whatever that the burglar was in the dungeon.  He had been busy with his knife, and the lock was nearly removed.  If the officers had been two minutes later, the dungeon would have been empty.  The girls were sent up-stairs at once, with the Allan boy as guard,—­as guard, without regard for the fact that he was probably more frightened than any one of them.

The chief officer rapped briskly on the dungeon door.  Then he clicked his revolver.

“There are enough of us to overpower three of you,” he said curtly.  “And we have men outside the house, too.  If you make any disturbance, we shall all fire the instant the door is opened.  If you put your firearms on the floor, and hold both hands over your head, you’ll be well treated.  If your hands are not up, we fire on sight.  Get your revolvers ready, boys.”