"That's good of you. But I don't see what you can do. I'm just a sort of Topsy, and Topsy I'll remain. Now please don't say anything about what I have told you to any one--not even to your father--unless I give you permission. I don't want to be the object of curiosity, as well as of suspicion." "Suspicion!" cried Alice. "Yes, about Miss Dixon's ring." "Oh! no one in the world believes you took that--not even Miss Dixon herself. I believe she has found the old paste diamond, and is too mean to admit it!" cried impulsive Alice. "You mustn't say such things!" objected her sister. "Well, neither must she, then. Oh, Estelle! Wouldn't it be great if you should prove to be the daughter of a millionaire!" "Too great, my dear. Don't let's think about it. But I feel better for having unburdened some of my troubles on you. And if you will still be as nice to me as you always have been----" "Why shouldn't we be?" asked Ruth. "Oh, I don't know, but I thought----" "Silly!" cried Alice, as she threw her arms about the strange girl and kissed her. Suddenly, from a distant hill, came a dull, booming sound, that, low as it was, seemed to make the very ground tremble. "What's that?" cried Alice. "Thunder," suggested Ruth. "It sounded more like an explosion," asserted Estelle. "There it goes again!" exclaimed Alice. "Look!" cried her sister. She pointed through the open window, and as the girls peered out they saw the top of the hill fly upward in a shower of dirt and stones. Once more the deep boom sounded. "It's a big gun!" cried Alice. "I remember, now. Mr. Pertell said he wanted pictures of a siege of a fort, and he sent for a big gun to get explosive effects. Come on over!" "And be blown to pieces?" objected Ruth. "Don't dare go, Alice DeVere!" "Oh, come on! There's no danger. Russ is going to make the films. I guess they're just trying it now. It's too late to make good pictures. Come on." "I'll go," offered Estelle. "I don't mind the noise." Ruth declined to go, so the other two girls set off. On the porch they met Russ and Paul, who confirmed their guess that it was a big siege gun which Mr. Pertell had sent to New York to get, so he might show the effect of explosive shells. "I'm going to film some to-morrow," Russ said. "Be careful," urged Alice. "Don't get blown up!" "I'm no more anxious for that than any one," laughed Russ, and together they set off toward the place where the big gun was being tried out. CHAPTER XX A WRONG SHOT The big gun which Mr. Pertell had secured to make more realistic the war play he was preparing for the films, was an old fashioned siege rifle, made toward the close of the Civil conflict. It had not been used more than a few times, and then it had been stored away in some arsenal. The director, hearing of it, had secured it to fire at a certain hill on Oak Farm.