Part 15 (2/2)
”I suppose so,” assented Jack, and as he drove his car through the streets of Chelton, after the unsuccessful search, he found hie ht sight of Ed
”Hey!” he called
Ed turned There was a an
Jack sadly shook his head
CHAPTER IX
FINDING THE WALLET
”No luck, eh?” went on Ed as he approached Jack
”No; that is, Lem and I didn't have any”
”Leet nervous I didn't tell him it was your pocketbook that was lost You see, I had to have some one keep watch on one side of the road while I looked on the other, and he was the only one available”
Then Jack related the details of the search
”I'lad Lem doesn't know about it,” went on Ed ”I heard to-day that he and Sid Wilcox have been seen together several times lately, and I'm not quite ready to have my loss made public--especially to Sid”
”Maybe Cora and Walter will have better luck,” suggested Jack hopefully ”We won't hear froh Did you 'phone to the bank in New City?”
”Yes I told theet any trace of the wallet here, and, as you know, I have already notified the Chelton police They have beena quiet search about town, but I fear it will be hopeless”
”The bank people didn't say it had been turned in there, by any chance, did they?”
”No such good fortune,” and Ed laughed uneasily ”Well, I'et a list of the bonds and their nu bills The police say they ant theht you said you didn't want it generally known”
”I don't, until I have h search at ho wallet byI have two that look exactly alike I may have picked up the empty one, shoved it intothe bonds and cashthere to see If I don't find it, the police are to send out a general alar loss to one
I don't knohat I a to do”
”Let's hope for the best,” spoke Jack as cheerfully as possible, but there was a dubious look on his face as he watched Ed turn in the direction of his home
But Ed found that he had made no mistake in the wallets The e the twenty thousand dollars was--as he had feared--lost He communicated this fact to the police, and soon the chief had ordered so the pocketbook and the contents, and offering a reward of five hundred dollars for the cash and bonds, Ed having agreed to pay this amount and ask no questions
”Ha!” exclaiht as one of the hastily printed bills came into his possession, ”so this is the wallet they are lookin' for, eh? Twenty thousand dollars! But I knowed it all the while As if Jack Kimball an' his sister could fool me! But I'll bleed him--that's what I'll do I'll make him whack up--or--or I'll tell!” and Leerous look on his mean face
The search conducted by Cora and Walter was, as uessed, as unsuccessful as the one undertaken by Jack and Leth of the road to New City, but saw nothing of the wallet, and came back disconsolate in the auto