“Some boy went there, reached in and took the cake.”
“What makes you think it was a boy?” asked Farmer Joel.
“Because of the size of the footprints. They are not much larger than those Russ would make.”
“I wonder if Ralph was here?” murmured Rose.
“No, I saw Ralph and his Jimsie dog going over to Woodport right after dinner,” remarked Adam North. “He said he was going to be gone all day. Ralph didn’t take the cake, nor did his dog Jimsie. Of that I’m sure.”
“Then I know who it was!” suddenly exclaimed Russ.
“Who?” they all asked.
“That peddler, the shoe-lace boy!” Russ answered. “He was mad because we wouldn’t buy anything, and he sneaked around and took Rose’s shortcake off the window sill.”
Russ started toward the road.
“Where are you going?” asked his father.