CHAPTER XXIV AN OLD ACQUAINTANCE APPEARS When Roy and Dick and Harry reached the store they found, to their satisfaction, that the village inhabitants had gazed their fill and gone. Roy and Dick amused themselves for a while in discovering clues and evolving theories, but that amusement finally palled, and they joined Harry at the front of the store and awaited the advent of Mrs. Peel. With the doors open front and back it was fairly cool, although outside the sun was baking hot. Two hours wore themselves away to the slow ticking of the old clock, and Dick became restless. “My!” he exclaimed, “I wish the old lady would come if she’s coming!” “So do I,” said Roy, heartily. “And I wish I could get a drink of cold water somewhere.” “Why not use the watering-trough?” asked Dick. “Come on. I’m thirsty, too. Have some, Harry?” But Harry declined, and the boys went out and held their mouths to the little iron pipe. And while they were drinking a two-seated carriage turned the corner and drew up in front of the store. On the back seat were Mrs. Peel and a tall man who, in spite of the heat, wore a long black frock-coat buttoned tightly about his lank form. “That’s Mrs. Peel!” whispered Roy. “Come on!” Mrs. Peel climbed nimbly out of the carriage and entered the store, while her companion remained to haggle with the driver over the amount to be paid for the drive from the station. Roy and Dick entered close behind Mrs. Peel. “How do you do?” asked Harry, in a small voice. “Why, bless me, my dear,” exclaimed Mrs. Peel, “I didn’t think to find you here!” She looked about the store. “Where’s Jennie?” “She didn’t come,” answered Harry, gaining courage, “and so we’ve been keeping store for you. And we sold over twelve dollars’ worth of things--” “I want to know!” said Mrs. Peel, beamingly. “Yes’m, but last night some one broke into the store and stole the money and a lot of things!” The little woman paled and glanced apprehensively about her. “Burglars!” she whispered. “But who--” “I guess we don’t have to look very far for ’em,” said a voice at the doorway. Roy and Dick started and looked up. It was the man in the black frock-coat. “Thunder!” muttered Roy, softly. “_It’s Jim Ewing!_” “This is my brother-in-law, Mr. Ewing,” faltered Mrs. Peel. “This young lady is the one I was telling you about, James, and these gentlemen--they are friends of yours, my dear?” “Yes,” answered Harry, “we’re all together with my father and Chub--you saw him the other day--on a house-boat.” Roy and Dick were gazing fascinatedly at the farmer, and Mr. Ewing was staring malevolently back at them. “James, there’s been thieves here,” said Mrs. Peel, “and they stole--how much did they take, Miss?” “They took all the money in the drawer,” said Harry, “and we reckoned up that they’d taken about nine dollars’ worth of bacon and canned goods. They broke in the back door--”