nigh filled; but meekly led the way down-stairs, the girls and Scipio following, after the men had disappeared.
Once more in the kitchen, Dorothy and Sarah could hear the uninvited guests rummaging around in the cellar, and again they congratulated themselves with having been so quick to understand what it was Master Dean would have them do.
Scipio was in the highest possible state of delight at the very satisfactory manner in which his master had been extricated from what had seemed like a serious dilemma. The old darkey danced to and fro as if he could not remain quiet, and chuckled and laughed until Dorothy sternly bade him be silent, fearing lest the searchers might hear his demonstrations of joy, and become suspicious.
At the end of a full hour the mission of the citizens had come to an end to their entire satisfaction, and the bewilderment of Masters Dean and Lamb.
The children in the kitchen heard the spokesman say as he and his followers made ready to take their departure:
"We are sorry to have made extra work for Mistress Dean, by so overhauling things; but glad for your sake that it has been done, for otherwise the people would never have been
