Startled, he whirled around so suddenly, that his supporting shoulder deprived Dan of a substantial base. The younger boy lost his balance and slipped to the ground.
“What’s going on here? Trying to break in, eh?”
Dan and Brad found themselves confronted by Atwood Merrimac. A sack of groceries clutched in one hand, he held Brad with the other as he gazed sternly at the two Cubs.
“Oh, it’s you, Mr. Merrimac,” Brad murmured in relief. “We’re glad to see you’re all right.”
“I can imagine you’re glad to see me! Sort of caught you in the act, didn’t I?”
Brad and Dan were aghast.
“You don’t think—you can’t think we were trying to break in!” the latter gasped.
“Unless appearances are deceitful, you gave a first class imitation of it, my lad! How did that window get open?”
In their anxiety to clear themselves, both boys talked at once.
Mr. Merrimac’s wrinkled face softened as he listened.