When Snorky Green, to whom Miss Dabtree was more aunt than woman, came bursting in an hour later, with the rebellious consciousness of having thoroughly earned the five-dollar bill which lay in the safest of pockets, he stopped short at the sight of his roommate in that reclining concentration which Sherlock Holmes has popularized, the briar pipe being replaced by a large pencil, on which Skippy was chewing in heavy meditation. "I say, Skippy, the old girl certainly came up handsome!" said Snorky gleefully, searching for the bill. "Sh--sh!" said Skippy without turning. "What the deuce?" "I want to think." "Danged if he isn't inventing something else!" said Snorky, who went on tiptoe to a position where he could study the frowning outward signs of the mental disturbances which were undoubtedly working inwardly. At the end of a silent hour, Skippy condescended to relax. "Well!" said Snorky excitedly. Skippy rose with dignity and went to the window, gazing out a moment into the darkling night where unknown myriads of mosquitoes lurked all unconscious of the doom impending over them. "I say, Skippy, what's the big idea?" "It's big--bigger than anything you ever imagined," said Skippy impressively. "Aren't you going to tell a fellow!" "Perhaps." Now Snorky was not without a certain knowledge of human nature, particularly Skippy-nature, so without further interest he proceeded to disrobe, flipping the five-dollar bill on the table with a rakish gesture and saying carelessly: "The old gal has a heart, anyhow. However, ta-ta for the night." Five minutes later Skippy spoke from the depths of his bed. "Snorky, I'll tell you this much." There was a convulsion among the opposite sheets and Snorky sat up. "Go on, I'm listening!" "It's bigger than bathtubs." "You don't say so!" "Snorky, it's--" "It's what?" "It's mosquitoes!" Accustomed as Snorky had become to the young inventor's cryptic methods, his imagination refused to follow. "You don't see?" "How the deuce should I see?" "Snorky, I'm going to put the mosquito out of business!" "How in tarnation!" "When I get through with him," said Skippy loftily, "when my plans are perfected--he'll starve to death!" "Oh, say! Skippy, is that all you're going to tell me?" "That is all for to-night," said Skippy, who, seizing a slipper, flung it across the room at the evening's candle after the methods introduced by the lamented Hickey Hicks, and plunged the room into darkness. CHAPTER XIV THE PLOT AGAINST THE MOSQUITO IF close association had brought to Snorky a canny knowledge of his roommate's need of unbosoming himself of a great idea, it had also acquainted Skippy with the profit to be derived from Snorky's overwhelming curiosity, particularly when there were any symptoms of ready cash.