"He's strictly sanitary," Ted declared, pressing his own curly head down to Nero's. "I'm glad I've got him, I needed a chum around home," he finished, affectionately. "How about me?" teased Nancy. "Oh you!" Ted was caressing Nero, and Nero was thudding his tail in response. "Yes, what about me, Ted? Don't you like me any more?" "Like you! But you ought to hear folks talk. They say you'll be starting a--butcher shop next." Nancy drew her breath in sharply. Were they criticising her like that? "Who's talking about me?" she demanded of her brother. "Don't have to get mad," drawled Ted. "What do we care? We know, I guess," he placated, tactfully. "But who's talking?" she insisted. "It's all jealousy," the boy evaded. "They're disappointed because the Townsends and Mr. Sanders are getting along so well. First, they tried to make Mr. Sanders out foolish, and now they say this place is spooky. Guess I've been here long enough to know," he retorted, as if answering the unknown foes. But Nancy was stricken with that painful self-consciousness that so often lately had taken possession of her. The changeable girl, even her friends were calling her; why did she so love--to change? "Look!" whispered Ted, directing her attention to the dog. "He--hears--it!" Nero was now alert, head cocked to one side, ears pricked up, and every dog-feature of him ready to pounce. Ted and Nancy watched him, breathless. A little snapping bark, a growl, long and threatening; then a wild, fierce howl, and the big creature dashed against the fireboard! "There!" exclaimed Ted. "I told you so!" "What is it?" gasped Nancy. But the barking of Nero shut out even the sound of their voices, and as brother and sister looked on, the big dog pawed the fireboard, scratching away the paper, birds, flowers, impossible sky and all. Presently he turned from that attack and dashed to the back door. Ted and Nancy were quick to follow him. "Let him out," Nancy directed. "He may know there's someone around." Unhooking the screen door Ted let his dog out. With a bounding leap Nero cleared the steps and dashed around the house to the chimney corner. "Look!" screamed Nancy, "there--goes--a--man!" As she pointed to the farthest corner of the lot, where the fence was broken down to admit a short cut to the avenue, they saw a man, just stepping through the brush. "Mr. Sanders!" exclaimed Ted. "I see his bald head!" "Mr. Sanders," Nancy repeated. "What can he have been doing here?" "That's what Nero is trying to find out," replied Ted, dryly. "Let's see how he's making out. He's stopped barking. Maybe--he's--got--it." It took but a few moments to reach the side of the house, where the old-fashioned stone foundation was broken by a place, through which the ashes from the fireplace had once been cleaned out. Here sat Nero. He wagged his tail happily as Ted came up, and he now seemed perfectly satisfied and contented.