It seemed to Val that there was a faint shadow of irritation across the open good nature of Holmes' smile when he heard her answer. "That damsel is becoming very elusive nowadays," he observed as he sat down. "But now for business." "More business? Not another oil-well!" Ricky expressed her surprise vividly with upflung hands. "Not an oil-well, no. Just this--" He pulled Val's black note-book from his pocket. "Now I am not going to tell you that I have shown them to a publisher and that he wants fifty thousand or so at five dollars apiece. But I did show them to that friend I spoke of. He isn't very well known at present but he will be some day. His name is Fenly Moss and he is interested in animated cartoons. He has some ideas that sound rather big to me. "Fen says that these animal drawings of yours show promise and he wants to know whether you ever thought of trying something along his line?" Val shook his head, impatient to hear the rest. "Well, he's in town right now on his vacation and he's coming out to see you tomorrow. I advise you, Ralestone, that if Fen makes you the proposition I think he's going to, to grab it. It'll mean hard work for you and plenty of it, but there is a future to it." "I don't know how to thank you," the boy began when Holmes frowned at him half-seriously. "None of that. I was really doing Fen a favor, but you needn't tell him that. Do you know how long Charity and your brother are going to be gone?" "No. But they'll be back for lunch," Ricky said. "If they remember lunch--they're getting so vague lately. Val went out to call them to dinner last night and it took him a good five minutes to get them out of the garden." "Five? Nearer ten," scoffed her brother. Holmes got up abruptly. "Well, I'll be drifting. When is this binge of yours?" "Three-thirty, which really means four," answered Ricky. "Aren't you going to stay to lunch?" The New Yorker shook his head. "Sorry, I've another engagement. Thanks just the same." "Thank _you_!" Val waved the note-book as he vanished. "Wonder why he hurried off that way?" "Mad to think that Miss Charity was gone," answered Rod shrewdly. "Yo've had that board long enough." He calmly possessed himself of Val's drawing equipment. "Time to rest." "Yes, grandfather," his cousin assented meekly. Ricky slapped at a fly. "It seems to get hotter and hotter," she said. From the breast pocket of her sport dress she produced a handkerchief and mopped her face. Then she looked at the handkerchief in surprise. "What's the matter? Some face come off along with the paint?" asked Val. "No. But I just remembered what this is--our clue!" "You mean the handkerchief we found in the hall? I wonder who--" Rod reached up and took it out of her hand. "Mine. Miss Charity gave me a dozen last Christmas." "Then you left it there," Ricky laughed. "Well, that solves the last of our mysteries." "All present or accounted for," Val agreed as around the house came Rupert and their tenant.