The chance came sooner than expected. The chums were out on Monday practicing for the bicycle race when they saw a buggy ahead of them. They spurted up, intending to pass the vehicle, when they discovered that it contained the Ford girls, who had been down to the Cedarville post-office.
“Glad we met you,” said Jack, when the greetings were over. “Please stop, I want to ask you something.”
Then, when all had come to a halt by the road-side, he told the particulars of his meeting with Will Carey.
“He never returned that bracelet at all!” cried Flossie, indignantly. “He said it was in the box of chocolates—if he hadn’t said that I never should have taken the box—but when I opened it all there was in it were the candies and a note asking me to meet him for a row on the lake.”
“You are positive it wasn’t in the box?” asked Pepper.
“Yes, I am. I dumped all the chocolates into my lap, for I wanted my bracelet and not the candy. When I saw that he had fooled me I was so angry I threw the chocolates away.”
“Was he there at the time?” asked Andy.
“No, he went away just as soon as he gave me the box.”
“You didn’t go rowing, I suppose,” said Jack.
“No, indeed! I tore up the note and didn’t answer it. Then I didn’t see him for a week. When I did I asked for the bracelet, and he began to tease me and said he had put it in the box of chocolates, under the tissue paper.”