“Who took them?” asked Bert, eagerly.

“Well, my dear boy, I have never found out.  The cook always said the tramp put the sugar bowl and cream pitcher in his pocket when her back was turned to get him a cup of coffee.  At any rate, when he was gone the two pieces were gone also, and while I do not want to think badly of any one, I have come to believe that the tramp took my rare dishes.”

“Didn’t you ever see him again?” asked Nan.

“No, my dear, never, as far as I know.”

“And did you never find the dishes?” Bert wanted to know.

“Never.  I advertised for them.  I inquired if any boys in the neighborhood might have slipped in and taken them for a joke, but I never found them.  To this day,” went on Miss Pompret, “I have never again set eyes on my cream pitcher and sugar bowl.  They disappeared as completely and suddenly as though they had fallen down a hole in the earth.  The tramp may have taken them; but what would he do with just two pieces?  They were too frail for him to use.  A man like that would want heavy dishes.  Perhaps he knew how valuable they were and perhaps he intended asking a reward for bringing them back.  But I never heard from him.

“So that is why my rare set of Pompret china is not complete.  The two pieces are missing and I would give a hundred dollars this minute if I could get them back!”

“A—­a hundred dollars!” exclaimed Bert.

“Yes, my boy.  If some one would get me that sugar bowl and pitcher, with the mark of the lion in a golden circle, and the initials ‘J’ at the top and ‘W’ at the bottom, I would willingly pay one hundred dollars,” said Miss Pompret.

“A—­a whole hundred dollars!” gasped Bert.  “What a lot of money!”

CHAPTER VI

WONDERFUL NEWS

Miss Alicia Pompret began putting back in the glass-doored closet the pieces of rare china that had the blue lion in a circle of gold and the initials “J.W.” on the bottom of each piece.  Nan and Bert watched her, and saw how carefully her white hands took up each plate and cup.

“A hundred dollars!” murmured Bert again.  “I’d like to have all that money.  I’d buy—­er—­I’d buy a goat!”

“A goat!” exclaimed Miss Pompret.

“Yes,” went on Bert.  “Freddie nearly thought one once, when we went to the big city, but mother wouldn’t let him keep it.  Now we’re back home; and if I had a hundred dollars I’d buy a goat.”

“Well, if you can find my sugar bowl and pitcher I’ll be glad to pay you a hundred dollars,” said Miss Pompret with a smile at Bert.  “But I don’t know that I’d like a goat,” she added.

“Do you really mean you’d pay a hundred dollars for two china dishes?” asked Nan, her eyes big with wonder.