Part 22 (1/2)

Brother Was.h.i.+ngton's sympathies were at once enlisted, however, when he scented a romance, for John became more confidential in this than in any of his prior visitations, in his desire to propitiate. But his search was fruitless here as elsewhere, and he went away convinced that Brother Was.h.i.+ngton had not tampered with the pocket.

He went on to the house of the Reverend James Woodville, who had performed the marriage ceremony at the nuptials of Mrs. Jimmels, nee Hubbleston. In this instance also no pocket had been discovered in the garment, so John wended his discouraged way to the office of the Barlow Theatre.

Mr. Vedder was likewise surprised to learn that surplices possessed pockets.

The young rector's face brightened at the next name on his list--Pete Noyes. Of course a boy and a pocket would not long remain unacquainted.

Again he was doomed to disappointment. Pete's dismay when he learned that there had been an overlooked pocket was convincingly genuine.

”You see,” he explained, ”I wore it over my pants, of course, and I had the pockets in them, so I didn't look for no more.”

Pete escorted the rector to the ”Vawdyville,” and by good fortune the clerical impersonator in the sketch was still on the board, though in a different act. He instantly and decidedly disclaimed all knowledge of a pocket.

”It's like that game,” grinned Pete. ”b.u.t.ton, b.u.t.ton, who's got the b.u.t.ton?”

”Yes,” agreed John, with a sigh, ”only in this case I fear I shall continue to be 'it.'”

The brakeman, when he came in from his run, was located and he joined in the blockade that was conspiring against John's future happiness.

The clothes-line thief was very sensitive on the subject, and felt greatly aggrieved that he should be accused of picking his own pocket, for he protested that he had ”found” the garment. The fancied insinuation indeed was so strongly resented that John wondered if it might not be a proverbial case of ”hit birds flutter.”

Neither police nor court of justice had examined the pocket; nor had they been aware of the existence of one. The bishop could throw no light on the missing article, and this call ended the successless tour of investigation.

”It was truly a profitable investment for the Jenkins family,” thought John, ”but a sorry one for me.”

Having now wended his weary and unavailing way into all the places listed, John made his final report to Colette who remained adamant in her resolve.

”Of course some of those people did find it,” she maintained. ”It stands to reason they must have done so, and it is up to you now to find out which one of them is the guilty person.”

”How can I find that out, Colette?”

”How? Anyhow!” she replied, her mien betraying great triumph at her powers of logic.

”It must be found!” she a.s.serted with a distinct air of finality. ”And until it is found--”

She stopped abruptly.

”Was it of value? No, I am not trying to find out what it was since you don't wish me to know, but if I knew its value, it might help me to decide who would be the most likely to have a motive for taking it. But my belief is that the article slipped from the pocket and is lost.”

”It must be found then” she persisted obstinately.

John went home to ponder over his hopeless task. It remained for Amarilly with her optimistic spirit to cheer him.

”It'll turn up some place whar you never looked fer it and when you ain't thinkin' nuthin' about it,” she a.s.serted believingly. ”Lost things allers do.”

Despite her philosophy she was greatly distressed over the disappearance of the mysterious article whose loss was keeping John so unhappy. She ransacked the house from the cellar to the Boarder's room, but found no trace of it.

”I wonder what it was,” she mused.

”Mebby Miss King dreamt she put something in there, and when could she have done it anyhow? Mebby she give him a present, and he slipped it in there and fergot to take it out when he sent it to us. But then it would have come out in the wash. She don't seem to feel so bad as he does-- jest sorter stubborn about it.”