Printed in the United States of America

The Invention Series

Boston Little, Brown, and Company 1924

Copyright, 1924, by Little, Brown, and Company.

All rights reserved

Published September, 1924

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I The McGregors

II Carl Tells a Story

III A Tragedy

IV Problems

V A Tangle of Surprises

VI The Web Widens

VII The Coming of the Fairy Godmother

VIII The Romance of Cotton

IX North and South

X A Lesson in Thrift

XI A Family Congress

XII A Clue

XIII Hal Repeats His Visit

XIV Spinning Yarns

XV Tidings

XVI A Reluctant Altruist

XVII An Ordeal

XVIII The Solution of Many Mysteries

XIX Unraveling the Snarls

ILLUSTRATIONS

"Mr. Carl McGregor," announced he in a stentorian tone Frontispiece

Page

"The cotton is sent to factories to be ginned"

"But that isn't our basket, Mother," Carl said. "This is much bigger"

"I've hunted for you and your red car ever since"