ey."

"I'll give you what I have. Don't be too hard on me."

At a nod from Mr. Nichols, the plain-clothes men stepped from the
bushes surrounding the pair.

"Tricked!" shouted Jay Kline.

Believing that Old Herman had betrayed him to the police, he struck
savagely at the man and then brushing past one of the officers, ran
down the ravine. Two policemen took after him and soon dragged him
back. Herman Crocker had not attempted to escape.

"Take Kline down to Kendon," Mr. Nichols ordered tersely. "I'll look
after Crocker myself."

"You've nothing on me," the old man muttered. "I was being
blackmailed, that's all."

"It's no use trying to put up a front," the detective told him. "We
know everything. This man was a blackmailer right enough, but the real
Walter Crocker has a just claim to a large portion of your estate. A
more serious matter is that you are wanted for the robbery of the
Kirmenbach residence."

"I'm wanted for what?" gasped the old man.

"You are under suspicion for stealing a diamond necklace."

Until this moment Herman Crocker had been calm and quiet, but suddenly
he flew into a violent rage, denying any part in the robbery.

"It's nothing but a frame-up!" he shouted.

"Maybe I did keep money that wasn't mine, but I never broke into
anyone's house in all my life!"

"Did you or did you not have a toy lantern in your house?" asked Mr.
Nichols.

"A toy lantern?" the old man repeated. "Perry had one I guess. He
lost it and found it again."

"It happens that Perry's toy lantern was discovered at the scene of the
robbery. Perhaps you can explain that."

"I don't know anything about it," said Old Herman dully. "That's the
truth."

"We'll see what Perry has to say about it," returned Mr. Nichols.
"Come along."

He led the old man back to the automobile where the boy was waiting.

"Perry," said the detective kindly, "do you remember a toy lantern
which Mr. Turner gave you the other day?"

"He didn't give it to me," the lad corrected. "It was mine."

"You had lost it?" Mr. Nichols prompted. "Do you recall how long ago
you missed the lantern?"

"It was the night Walter Crocker came to see my grandfather," Perry
answered instantly. "I was playing with it then and I think maybe I
dropped it into his pocket."

"You put the toy lantern into Walter Crocker's coat pocket?" the
detective asked in amazement. "Why did you do that?"

"I don't know," answered Perry with a shrug.