“I’ll show you in the library,” was all Roy’s reply, then recollecting that the girls would be anxious to hear his report, he hurried out and down the stairs. Eva and Jess were still standing by the newel post. “Well?” they asked in a breath. “It was only the old clock Rex knocked down. Mr. Keeler has gone up to bed.” “Did you tell Rex?” “No, not yet. Here he comes now.” Eva went out and showed her brother where to deposit the contents of the newspaper. Then she brought him back into the library and pointed out the portrait of Martin Blakesley. Rex understood at once what it meant, for he had been looking at the book. “Whew!” he brought out this low whistle and then glanced from one to the other of his companions. “You think it is the same man then?” said Roy. “It looks exactly like him, and I suppose it would be as easy for him to take the name Keeler as any other alias.” “But there is a Charles Keeler,” went on Roy, “I didn’t know these men would dare masquerade around the country as such famous people. They would be sure to be found out.” “What are you going to do about it?” asked Rex. It was characteristic of him that, though he had himself invited Keeler to the house, he was now putting all the responsibility on his brother. “Let’s sit down and talk it over calmly,” replied Roy. “I’ve been thinking the thing over and I can’t see what harm it can do to let Mr. Keeler stay.” “What, a confidence man!” exclaimed Rex and Jess in a breath. “He may have reformed,” continued Roy. “He didn’t plan deliberately to come to this house, nothing he has said or done since he has been here has made us suspect him of being anything else than what he claimed to be.” “But if he has reformed what would he be going around pretending to be what he wasn’t for?” interrupted Jess, “You don’t suppose that Martin Blakesley and Charles Keeler, the author, are one and the same person, do you?” Roy did not answer for a minute. He had plainly not thought of this side of the matter. “Ugh! it makes me creep,” went on Jess, “to feel that a man who has been in state’s prison twice is in this very house and going to stay here all night. I’m going to stay up until morning. I think I’ll sit down here and read the lives of these criminals. It will be an appropriate occupation.” “You girls needn’t stay up at all,” said Rex. “Roy and I will stand guard.” “Oh, I couldn’t sleep if I went to bed,” declared Jess. “I don’t know as I can ever sleep again so long as we are in this house. Think how he must know all the ins and outs of it by this time!” “How silly you talk, Jess,” interposed Eva. “One would think to hear you that Mr. Keeler was a common burglar. As Roy says, he didn’t plan to come here, and like as not he’ll go away in the morning without having disturbed us in the least.” “You’re standing up for him, are you, Eva? Well, I thought his good looks were making an impression on you.”