y it was learned your
father and mother had gone away. Immediately the bookkeeper was forgotten
and the papers all seemed to agree that Prince Morrell had really stolen
the money.

"Oddly enough the creditors made little trouble at first. Your Uncle
Starkweather was mentioned as having been a silent partner in the concern
and having lost heavily himself----"

"Poor dad was able to pay Uncle Starkweather first of all--years and years
ago," interposed Helen.

"Ah! and Grimes? Do you know if he made any claim on your father at any
time?"

"I think not. You see, he was freed of all debt almost at once through
bankruptcy. Mr. Grimes really had a very small financial interest in the
firm. Dad said he was more like a confidential clerk. Both he and Uncle
Starkweather considered Grimes a very good asset to the firm, although he
had no money to put into it. That is the way it was told to me."

"And very probable. This Grimes is notoriously sharp," said Dud,
reflectively. "And right after he went through bankruptcy he began to do
business as a money-lender. Supposedly he lent other people's money; but
he is now worth a million, or more. Question is: Where did he get his
start in business after the robbery and the failure of Grimes & Morrell?"

"Oh, Dud!"

"Don't you suspect him, too?" demanded the young man.

"I--I am prejudiced, I fear."

"So am I," agreed Dud, with a grim chuckle. "I'm going after that man
Grimes. It's funny he should go into business with a mysterious capital
right after the old firm was closed out, when before that he had had no
money to invest in the firm of which he was a member."

"I feared as much," sighed Helen. "And he was so eager to throw suspicion
on the lost bookkeeper, just to satisfy my curiosity and put me off the
track. He's as bad as Uncle Starkweather. _He_ doesn't want me to go ahead
because of the possible scandal, and Mr. Grimes is afraid for his own
sake, I very much fear. What a wicked man he must be!"

"Possibly," said Dud, eyeing the girl sharply. "Have you told me all your
uncle has said to you about the affair?"

"I think so, Dud. Why?"

"Well, nothing much. Only, in hunting through the files of the newspapers
for articles about the troubles of Grimes & Morrell I came across the
statement that Mr. Starkweather was in financial difficulties about the
same time. _He_ settled with his creditors for forty cents on the dollar.
This was before your uncle came into _his_ uncl