Only young Phil Holt suspects that the distinguished-looking Mr. Tate is looking for more than poetry in old Miss Goddard’s library. Miss Goddard thinks the self-styled poetry expert is charming. But Boz, the dog, takes an instant dislike to the elderly "scholar." And Phil is sure he has seen Mr. Tate outside Miss Goddard’s house in the middle of the night, talking with a sinister stranger.

The unusual setting -- Portland, Maine’s famous Longfellow Square -- and the reality and appeal of the characters make this one of Mrs. Jane’s best stories. Family skeletons, a dognapping, and some furtive figures lurking in a closed-up church add to the excitement, as Phil proves that "bookish" boys can also be brave!