On the following morning Doris and Kitty arose earlier than usual. They wandered about the grounds until time for breakfast, but when they were called to the dining room by Cora, the Misses Gates had not put in their appearance.
“You may as well sit down,” the housekeeper told them. “Things are getting cold and I’m in a hurry to get around this morning.”
“Really, we’d prefer to wait,” Doris told her. “It’s so unusual for the Misses Gates to be late. We’re usually the guilty ones.”
They were about to go outside again when they heard some one coming down the stairs. It was Azalea and the girls saw at once that she was dreadfully agitated. Iris came after her and she, too, was excited.
“Some one has been tampering with our things!” Azalea cried. “We have separate desks in our rooms. A few minutes ago when I went to get a check book from the pigeon hole, I found that everything had been rifled!”
“My desk is the same way,” Iris declared angrily.
“Was anything taken?” Doris questioned quietly.
“Yes, several important papers.”
Doris and Kitty, not greatly surprised at this news, glanced significantly at each other. The twins, observing them, regarded the girls rather sharply.
“Was any one here yesterday while we were gone?” Azalea questioned Cora who had remained in the room.