“It’s no use,” said Jack.

“Oh, let’s try a little longer,” begged Cora.

“Well, if he dropped it before he got here, or after he left, we might as well make the entire trip to New City, and then reverse and go to Chelton,” went on Jack.  “And we can’t look over every inch of all the distance.”

“We can drive along slowly,” was Cora’s idea.  “The wallet is so large that it could easily be seen.  It’s too bad we haven’t Sid and Ida along to help hunt for it.  And the Robinson girls, and Mary.  The more eyes, the better.  I’ll go on to New City, if you’ll make a search on the road from here to Chelton, Jack.”

“Oh, I don’t know as it would do any good.”

“It won’t do any harm,” said Walter.  “That is, if Cora isn’t too tired.”

“Oh, I should love to go.  I can’t get enough of my new car.  Will you come, Walter?”

“Of course.”

“Then, Jack, you go back to Chelton and keep a lookout on both sides of the road.”

“Hard to do that with one pair of eyes,” was her brother’s reply.  “I wish I had some one to ride with me.  But go ahead; I’ll do the best I can.”

“It would be a good plan,” assented Cora, “to have a person with you.  If you could pick up some one—­”

“Or run across somebody,” added Jack with a grin.

“No, Jack, I’m serious.  Don’t joke.  Even a stranger would do.  Some man—­”

“Here comes a man now!” exclaimed Walter as an individual came in sight around a bend in the road.  The man was not very well dressed.

“I don’t like his looks,” said Jack in a low voice.  “He seems like a tramp.”

“I don’t blame you for not liking his looks,” interrupted Walter.  “That’s Lem Gildy.”

“The man we saw talking to Sid when he ran his auto into the blacksmith shop?” asked Cora.

Walter nodded.

“Humph!” mused Jack.  “I don’t exactly fancy telling Lem Gildy about a pocketbook containing twenty thousand dollars lying alongside the road.  He might not admit that he saw it if he happened to spy it while with me, and later on he might come back and pick it up.”

“Well, don’t tell him what you’re looking for,” suggested Cora with ready wit.  “Just say it’s—­er—­a—­er—­”

“Say it’s a lady’s pocketbook,” put in Walter, “and then he’ll know it’s got everything in it but money.  That’s playing a safety with a vengeance.”

“Oh, so that’s your opinion of us, is it?” asked Cora quickly.  “But, after all, Jack, I think it’s the best plan to ask him to ride back with you, and have him watch one side of the road.  Of course, he’s rather dirty—­I mean his clothes—­and it’s not nice to sit alongside of him, but—­”

“Oh, I don’t mind clean dirt,” interrupted Jack.  “It’s only garden soil on Lem’s clothes.  He does odd jobs, you know.”

“Not very often,” added Walter.  “But go ahead, Jack.  He’s coming nearer.  I don’t believe you can do better than ask him to ride back to Chelton with you.  Needn’t be too specific about what’s in the pocketbook.  But two pairs of eyes are better than one, you know.”