“Why?” he muttered.  “You’re not my boss.”

“Be quick, Ogden.”

“What’s the big idea—­ordering a fellow—­”

“And close the door gently behind you,” said Ann.  She turned to Jerry, as the order was obeyed.

“Has he been bothering you, Jerry?”

Jerry Mitchell wiped his forehead.

“Say, if that kid don’t quit butting in when I’m working in the gym—­You heard what he was saying about Maggie, Miss Ann?”

Celestine had been born Maggie O’Toole, a name which Mrs. Pett stoutly refused to countenance in any maid of hers.

“Why on earth do you pay any attention to him, Jerry?  You must have seen that he was making it all up.  He spends his whole time wandering about till he finds some one he can torment, and then he enjoys himself.  Maggie would never dream of going out in the car with Biggs.”

Jerry Mitchell sighed a sigh of relief.

“It’s great for a fellow to have you in his corner, Miss Ann.”

Ann went to the door and opened it.  She looked down the passage, then, satisfied as to its emptiness, returned to her seat.

“Jerry, I want to talk to you.  I have an idea.  Something I want you to do for me.”

“Yes, Miss Ann?”

“We’ve got to do something about that child, Ogden.  He’s been worrying uncle Peter again, and I’m not going to have it.  I warned him once that, if he did it again, awful things would happen to him, but he didn’t believe me.  I suppose, Jerry—­what sort of a man is your friend, Mr. Smethurst?”

“Do you mean Smithers, Miss Ann?”

“I knew it was either Smithers or Smethurst.  The dog man, I mean.  Is he a man you can trust?”

“With my last buck.  I’ve known him since we were kids.”

“I don’t mean as regards money.  I am going to send Ogden to him for treatment, and I want to know if I can rely on him to help me.”

“For the love of Mike.”

Jerry Mitchell, after an instant of stunned bewilderment, was looking at her with worshipping admiration.  He had always known that Miss Ann possessed a mind of no common order, but this, he felt, was genius.  For a moment the magnificence of the idea took his breath away.

“Do you mean that you’re going to kidnap him, Miss Ann?”

“Yes.  That is to say, you are—­if I can persuade you to do it for me.”

“Sneak him away and send him to Bud Smithers’ dog-hospital?”

“For treatment.  I like Mr. Smithers’ methods.  I think they would do Ogden all the good in the world.”

Jerry was enthusiastic.

“Why, Bud would make him part-human.  But, say, isn’t it taking big chances?  Kidnapping’s a penitentiary offence.”

“This isn’t that sort of kidnapping.”

“Well, it’s mighty like it.”