"Oh, what is it?" they shouted in a satisfying chorus.
"Thomas Hickey!" announced Alexander, proudly.
"But how do you know?"
"'Cause that's the name of the feller Washington hung! It was a member of his life-guard who was one of the conspirators!"
"Alexander, you're some trump!" declared Corinne. "In all my browsing, I never came across that!"
CHAPTER XIV
A BELATED DISCOVERY AND A SOLEMN
CONCLAVE
During the month following Alexander's researches into history, no further progress was made in solving the mystery that absorbed the Antiquarian Club. The Christmas holidays came and went, and the severer winter weather held the city in such a grip that often, for days on a stretch, Margaret could not be wheeled out in her chair. Under the combined strain of confinement to the house and lack of any further stimulating excitement, she grew very restless and just a wee bit unhappy. The girls and Alexander were very busy with their midwinter examinations, and could not give much time to other interests, even such absorbing ones as the long-ago Alison and her fate.
But, with the beginning of February, matters improved. The weather moderated, to begin with, the sun shone daily, and Margaret could again enjoy her outing of an hour in the sunny part of each early afternoon. The others also, released from the grind of much study and "cramming for exams," had leisure at last to give to the club-meetings, which they now held regularly three times a week. Alexander was not always with them, for the claims of hockey and skating and coasting often proved too much for his boyish soul to resist. But, for the most part, he managed to be on hand at least once a week, for his interest in the mystery was still very great.