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THE PURPLE PENNANT

response. "Besides, all we've got to do is to get a good look at him to see whether his eyes are blue or not."

"You don't suppose folks can change the color of their eyes, do you?"

"Of course not! How could they?"

Fudge shook his head. "Criminals know lots of tricks we don't," he replied. "But we'll soon see."

Whereupon Perry went back to practicing starts in the side yard and Fudge, finding a rock, gave an interesting imitation of putting the shot.

They reached the theater at twenty-five minutes before two. Fudge apologized for being a trifle late, explaining that his mother had sent him on an errand directly after dinner in spite of his plea of an important engagement. Still, there was no doubt but that they were in plenty of time, for the orchestra did not assemble until a few minutes before two. As there was already quite a throng awaiting the opening of the doors, they decided to separate and take opposite sides of the entrance. This they did, Fudge assuming an expression and demeanor so purposeless that Perry feared he would be arrested as an escaped lunatic by the policeman on duty there. Several hundreds of persons passed into the theater, but neither of the boys caught sight of

their quarry, and when, at two o'clock, the strains

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