On they went, and at last, as Warble drew up at the lake in the hall, she
was closely followed by Trymie Icanspoon, and true to her promise she
rewarded him by pushing him into the lake. It was but a shallow pool, he
couldn't drown, but the fun of it was, Warble had caused the water to be
drained off and the tank filled with mayonnaise.
Wherefore Trymie's soft plop into the oily depths was of a ludicrous
nature.
Then the guests were allowed to resume their own clothes and supper was
announced.
Conversation turned to art matters, and Leathersham who was a collector of
many various rarities asked Petticoat how his new collection was
progressing. The collection was one of early American Pieplates.
"Doing well," Big Bill answered. "I have just achieved a yellow earthen
John Adams, that is authentic and very rare. Except for my Barbara
Frietchie tin one, it is perhaps the gem of my collection."
"Good!" Leathersham exclaimed, interestedly, "may I see it?" Petticoat
summoned a lackey and two minions and sent them to his curio room to fetch
the plates. But they returned with the startling announcement that all the
pieplate collection had disappeared!
"Heavens and earth!" Petticoat cried. "Lock the doors, search the pockets!
Why, that collection is worth millions!"
"What's the matter?" Warble inquired, seeing the hullaballoo.
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