“Awfully kind of you, Jack.”

Cora glanced at the postmark, and slipped the missive into the large, loose sleeve of her gown.

“Oh, you may read it,” spoke Bess, smiling frankly at Jack.  “We don’t mind.”

“Not in the least,” came from Jack as he took a chair next to Isabel.  “In fact, we would be glad to have you do so.  Go ahead, sis.  Help yourself,” he went on pleasantly, dipping into the chocolate box.

“It will keep,” said Cora quickly.  “But, Jack, what’s new?  For mercy’s sake, do tell us something new!  Is there anything more about—­”

“Yes, a lot about it,” and Jack anticipated his sister’s question.  “I hear that the sleuths have a straight tip.  They told Ed this afternoon that they would have his money back inside of a—­”

“Oh, isn’t that fine!” broke in Belle.  “I have been so uncomfortable ever since that affair happened and they found the empty wallet in poor, dear Cora’s car.  It looked just as if we—­”

“Don’t!” spoke Cora quickly in a low voice.

“It certainly was uncomfortable,” put in Bess.

“Especially for Ed Foster,” remarked Jack with a. significant grin as he took another chocolate.  “Um—­um—­these are mighty fine, sis!”

“Oh, take them all!” cried Cora.  “But tell us some more about it; do, Jack, please!”

“Yes.  Do they really think they’re on the right track?” asked Isabel.

“That’s all I know about it,” answered Jack calmly as he finished the last candy.  “I heard the detectives had promised to get the money back inside of a week, and that’s all.  Maybe it was only talk.  They have to say something for their pay, you know.  But I almost forgot.  There is another bit of news, girls.”

“What?” they demanded in chorus.

“Ed says he knows who took the money.”

As Jack made this announcement he looked around as indifferently as if he had made the most ordinary remark on the most commonplace subject.

CHAPTER XVI

MARY’S LETTER

For a moment there was silence.  Then Cora asked: 

“Who does he say took it?”

“That’s just it,” went on her brother.  “He doesn’t say.”

“Does he know?”

“He declares he does.”

“Then why won’t he tell?”

“You can search me.  I don’t know.  He hasn’t even told the police, I understand.  He merely made that remark to Walter, and I heard about it.”

“Oh, Jack, are you sure that’s all there is to it?” asked his sister.

“Sure.  I’d tell you more if I knew.”

At first they thought he was teasing, and the girls, with, all the wiles of which they were capable, besought him to explain, but he could not, and, finally, they accepted his word as final.

“Well, it’s very strange,” commented Cora.  “I hope it will be all cleared up soon—­for all our sakes.”