"Why, it's a boy!" thought Kitty; "I wonder what he can be doing here? Perhaps it's Bob. No, Bob's in the dining-room. Why, goodness, I believe it's Tim! And yet, I suppose it cannot be, for he went home ages ago."
At that instant the figure began to move stealthily away, carrying something which looked, Kitty thought, like a basket. Fascinated, she watched it as it cautiously hurried round the side of the house; then, rushing downstairs, she passed like a whirlwind through the kitchen and into the scullery beyond.
Yes, the idea which had flashed upon her had been right—it was the unclaimed basket which had gone, and that horrid, cheeky boy next door, she felt certain, was the thief.
Full of indignation at his daring and dishonesty, she dashed into the dining-room to her parents and Bob, and amazed them by a panting and excited account of the discovery she had made.
[CHAPTER VII.]
KITTY'S ACCIDENT.
KITTY'S statement that Tim Shuttleworth had stolen the covered basket was received with incredulity by the family generally; but she led the way to the scullery, and pointed triumphantly to the empty peg behind the door as witness to the proof of her tale.
"There!" she cried. "See for yourselves! What do you think now?"
"That the basket has certainly been taken," her father rejoined. "But calm yourself, Kitty, and don't jump to a conclusion which may be quite wrong. You say you saw a boy reaching into the scullery window, and afterwards carry away a basket. Are you sure it was Tim? May it not have been another boy of about his height and size? Moonlight is very deceptive, remember."
In her own mind the little girl was confident that it had been Tim whom she had seen, though she had caught no glimpse of his face.