e to do--he
would still have been utterly unable to purchase a controlling interest
in the Continental stock."

She spoke with quiet assurance, but her statement roused the group to
sudden excitement.

"Hooray!" cried Patsy. "There's your proof, Mr. Colby."

"The logic of genius," commented Uncle John.

"Why, it's proof positive!" said Beth.

"It is certainly a strong argument in favor of the boy's innocence,"
asserted Arthur Weldon.

"Maud's a wonder when she wakes up. She ought to have been a 'lady
detective,'" remarked Flo, regarding her sister admiringly.

Colby, at first startled, was now also regarding Maud Stanton with open
admiration; but there was an odd smile on his lips, a smile of indulgent
toleration.

"Le Drieux's statement connects Andrews with two other pearl robberies,"
he reminded her. "The necklace of the Princess Lemoine is said to be
priceless, and the Grandison collection stolen in London was scarcely
less valuable than that of Countess Ahmberg."

"Allowing all that," said Mr. Merrick, "two or three hundred thousand
dollars would doubtless cover the value of the entire lot. I am quite
certain, Mr. Colby, that Miss Stanton's suggestion will afford you an
excellent line of defense."

"I shall not neglect it, you may be sure," replied the lawyer. "Tonight
I'll try to figure out, as nearly as possible, the total cash value of
all the stolen pearls, and of course Jones will tell us what he paid
for his stock, or how much it is worth. But I am not sure this argument
will have as much weight as Miss Stanton suggests it may. A bold
gambler, such as Andrews, might have obtained a huge sum at Baden Baden
or Monte Carlo; and, were he indeed so clever a thief as his record
indicates, he may have robbed a bank, or stolen in some way an immense
sum of money. Logically, the question has weight and I shall present it
as effectively as I can; but, as I said, I rely more on my ability to
disprove the identity of the pearls, on which the expert Le Drieux lays
so much stress. Jones will have a thorough and formal examination
within a few days--perhaps to-morrow--and if the judge considers that
Andrews the pearl thief has been captured, he will be held here pending
the arrival from Washington of the extradition papers--say two or
three weeks longer."

"Then we shall have all that time to prove his innocence?" inquired Maud.

"Unfortunately, no. There will be no further trial of the prisoner until
he get