The Wayne Hall girls marched across the campus, Emma Dean parading ahead with outspread arms, her rags flapping about her, giving her the appearance of a scarecrow which had just emerged from a farmer's cornfield.
"There it is! There lies the mystery!" cried Elfreda, pointing toward the northern end of the campus, where considerable headway had been made in digging what appeared to be the cellar of a house.

"But Sherlock will unravel the tangled skein!" "Don't be so noisy!" cautioned Miriam Nesbit.

"The real Sherlock wasn't." "To-morrow will tell the tale," went on Elfreda unabashed, but in a slightly lower key.

"First, I shall spy upon the workmen, then I shall collect samples of campus soil and spend the rest of the day deducing." "I hope you won't overwork," was Emma's solicitous comment.

"While you are about it you might deduce the identity of 'Peter Rabbit.' I confess I am curious to know who wore Peter's blue jacket and why she disappeared so suddenly." "So am I," declared Grace.