ed Mr. Townsend, and there came a look of
wonderment to his face as he added:

"Young man, you'll win, you'll solve the mystery."

"I will?"

"Yes."'

"Why do you say so?"

"I can see that you will."

"You can?"

"Yes."

Jack laughed and said:

"What encourages you to think so?"

"You are going to work the right way. By ginger! you already have a
clue; hang me, if you are not a mind reader! You have a clue--yes,
you've established the fact that the man who deposited the fortune with
me _came from New Jersey_."

"New Jersey must be red," said Jack, as a smile overspread his handsome
face.

"Yes, and I'll swear that man came from Jersey."

"The man, you mean, with heavy plow boots on."

"Hang me! now I recall that is a fact."

"He wore very plain clothes?"

"Yes."

"He had a sort of twang in his pronunciation," said Jack, leaning
forward in an eager manner.

"Young man," cried Mr. Townsend, "you have raised up the figure of forty
years ago. You have described the man exactly--yes, I have been blind;
you are inspired. Now I recall the man must have come to me off a farm."

Jack was delighted, and we will here state that subsequent incidents
suggested the idea that he was almost inspired, for like lightning a
theory had formed in his mind, and stranger still, his theory led him to
ask a remarkable question which drew forth an answer astoundingly
suggestive.

Jack had been thoughtful awhile, but at length he asked:

"Did it not enter your mind that there might be a claimant for that
fortune before the expiration of the twenty years?"

"Great Scott! young man, are you a mind reader?"

"No, I am merely a logical student of possibilities. Answer my
question."

"Your question has recalled a part of my conversation with that strange
man which had really escaped my memory."

"Oh, yes, I may lead you to recall considerable."

"How fortunate it would have been had I met and employed you fifteen
years ago."

"Yes, it might have been better for us both, but I may work up a clue
yet, and as you will admit I start out on a very slight basis."

"You do; I called you into this case as a last resort without any idea
even that you would attempt to solve the mystery."

"I shall attempt to solve it; but you have not answered my question."

"I did speak of a possibility of there appearing a claimant. His answer
was that 'If there did arise a claimant who founded his claim on a basis
that appeared reas