“You shall have it, dearie!” laughed Janet, giving him a hug. “You don’t know what you found! You’re a lucky little boy, Trouble.”
“Um!” was all he answered.
Carrying the keys and ring carefully, Mrs. Martin and the three children started back toward the cottage. They saw Mr. and Mrs. Keller just going in.
“Oh, I must hurry and give Mr. Keller his keys before Mr. Narr asks for them,” said Mrs. Martin. “Here, Ted, you run on ahead with them. Tell Mr. Keller, as quietly as you can, how we found them. Of course, later on, he will explain to Mr. Narr how they were lost. But I don’t want Mr. Narr to be cross and scold, as he is sure to do when he learns that the keys were lost.”
Taking the rusty bunch, Teddy started off, but he had not gone more than a few steps before they all saw Mr. Martin and Mr. Narr coming out of the cottage to meet the elderly couple.
“Oh, now it is too late!” murmured Mrs. Martin, sadly. “You can’t give the keys to Mr. Keller without Mr. Narr seeing it—and then he will guess what has happened!”
Hardly knowing what to do, Mrs. Martin and the children, with Ted still carrying the keys, walked on toward Mr. Narr and Mr. Martin, who were about to meet Mr. and Mrs. Keller.
“Ah, here are my little shipwrecked friends!” exclaimed Mr. Narr, playfully shaking his gold-headed cane at Ted and Janet. “Have you been catching any more crabs?” he asked.
“No—no, sir!” faltered Ted, wondering what to do with the keys.
“Hello, Mr. Keller! How are you?” went on Mr. Narr, taking off his hat to Mrs. Keller. “I came over to find out where you lived,” he went on. “I have been asking the direction from Mr. Martin—the father of the shipwrecked children,” and he laughed. “I wanted to see you about the bank keys,” he went on.