t between friends? There's no joke,
Aunt Tish. You've financed a phony race. The permit is taken in your
name--L.L. Carberry. Whatever car wins, you and Ellis take the prize
money, half the gate receipts, and what you have made out of the
betting--"

Tish rose in the machine and held out both her hands to Mr. Atkins.

"Officer, perform your duty," she said solemnly. "Ignorance is no
defense and I know it. Where are the handcuffs?"

"We'll not bother about them, Miss Carberry", he said. "If you like I'll
get into the car and you can tell me all about it while we watch the
race. Which car is to win?"

"I may have been a fool, Mr. County Detective," she said coldly; "but
I'm not a knave. I have not bet a dollar on the race."

We were very silent for a time. The detective seemed to enjoy the race
very much and ate peanuts out of his pocket. He even bought a
red-and-black pennant, with "Morris Valley Races" on it, and fastened it
to the car. Charlie Sands, however, sat with his arms folded, stiff and
severe.

Once Tish bent forward and touched his arm.

"You--you don't think it will get in the papers, do you?" she quavered.

Charlie Sands looked at her with gloom. "I shall have to send it myself,
Aunt Tish," he said; "it is my duty to my paper. Even my family pride,
hurt to the quick and quivering as it is, must not interfere with my
duty."

It was Bettina who suggested a way out--Bettina, who had sat back as
pale as Tish and heard that her Mr. Ellis was, as Charlie Sands said
later, as crooked as a pretzel.

"But Jasper was not--not subsidized," she said. "If he wins, it's all
right, isn't it?"

The county detective turned to her.

"Jasper?" he said.

"A young man who lives here." Bettina colored.

"He is--not to be suspected?"

"Certainly not," said Bettina haughtily; "he is above suspicion.
Besides, he--he and Mr. Ellis are not friends."

Well, the county detective was no fool. He saw the situation that
minute, and smiled when he offered Bettina a peanut. "Of course," he
said cheerfully, "if the race is won by a Morris Valley man, and not by
one of the Ellis cars, I don't suppose the district attorney would care
to do anything about it. In fact," he said, smiling at Bettina, "I don't
know that I'd put it up to the district attorney at all. A warning to
Ellis would get him out of the State."

It was just at that moment that car number thirteen, coming round the
curve, skidded into the field, threw ou