"I am delighted!" she said in a strong, quick voice, which matched her smile and bright glance perfectly. "Why, Janey, you may go out every evening, if you will only bring back with you such a bevy of fresh, sweet faces. Introduce me--do!" The introductions were made amid considerable gaiety. Mother Wit took the lead in telling Mrs. Steele who they were. Later Janet related the accident on Market Street, which had led to her acquaintance with the three girls of Central High. Laura's keen eyes were not alone fixed upon Mrs. Steele while they talked. She took into consideration everything in the house. There was no mark of poverty; yet the Steeles lived in a house in a poor neighborhood and one that was positively out of repair, and they occupied only a small part of it. When the three girls came out again and Janet had gone in and closed the door, Laura was in a brown study. "Wake up, Mother Wit!" commanded Jess. "What do you think of the Steeles--and all?" All Laura Belding could say in comment, was: "Odd!" CHAPTER IV THE MYSTERY MAN The three boys who had set off to find the car that had knocked down the stranger on the icy street were as mysterious the next day as they could be. At least, so their girl friends declared. Being Sunday, there was no general gathering of the Central High girls and boys, but Laura, naturally, saw her brother early. He was coming from his shower in bathrobe and slippers when Laura looked out of her own door. "What sort of fox-and-goose chase did Short and Long take you and Lance away on?" she demanded. "Oh, I don't know that he was altogether foolish," said Chet doubtfully. "Then did you really find some trace of the car?" cried Laura, eagerly. "Well, we found a car. Yes." "'Goodness to gracious!' as poor Lizzie Bean says. You are noncommunicative, Chetwood Belding. What do you mean--you found a car?" "Laura," said her brother, "I don't know--nor does Lance, or Short and Long--whether the fellow we suspect had anything to do with that accident or not." "Oh!" "And we don't want to get him in wrong." "Who is it?" demanded his sister, bluntly. "No. We won't tell anybody who it is we suspect until we make further investigations." "I declare, you are as mysterious as a regular detective! And suppose the police do make inquiries?" "They will, of course," "And what will you boys tell them?" "Pooh!" returned Chet, going on to his room to dress, "they won't ask us because they don't know we know anything about it." "I guess you don't know much!" shouted Laura after him before he closed his door. It was the same when Jess Morse met Lance Darby on the way to Sunday School. "Ho, Launcelot!" she cried. "Tell us all the news--that is a good child. Who was that awful person who ran down the man last night? I hear from Dr. Agnew that they had to patch the poor victim up a good deal at the hospital. Did you boys find the guilty party?"