Part 28 (1/2)
”Don't!” spoke Cora quickly in a low voice
”It certainly was uncomfortable,” put in Bess
”Especially for Ed Foster,” rerin as he took another chocolate ”Uhty 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 proet the money back inside of a week, and that's all Maybe it was only talk
They have to say soot There is another bit of news, girls”
”What?” they demanded in chorus
”Ed says he knoho 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 on'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 , 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”