ks and laughed.

"As a matter of fact," he returned, "I am not a detective of any
sort--at least not officially. I merely assume the part once in a while
when there seems to be a demand. Officially," he added, "I am the
representative of the New York Post-Dispatch, a paper which, you may
know, has solved a good many mysteries before now. In this case, the
Post-Dispatch will of course take the credit, but it wants a little more
than that. It wants to be the only paper tomorrow morning to print the
true details. We four are the only ones who know them. I should,
perhaps, have been a little more circumspect, and kept the facts to
myself, but I knew that I could trust you."

His eye dwelt upon the sheriff a moment and then wandered to Pete Moser
who had sat silently listening throughout the colloquy.

"Would it be too much," Terry inquired, "to ask you to keep silent until
tomorrow morning?"

"You can trust me to keep quiet," said Mattison, holding out his hand.

"Me too," said Moser. "I reckon I can make up something that'll satisfy
the boys about as well as the real thing."

"Thank you," Terry said. "I guess you can all right! There doesn't seem
to be anything the matter with your imaginations down here."

"And now," said Mattison, rising, "I suppose the first thing, is to see
about Radnor's release, though I swear I don't know yet what was the
matter with him on the day of the crime."

"I believe you have the honor of Miss Polly Mathers's acquaintance?
Perhaps she will enlighten you," suggested Terry.

A look of illumination flashed over Mattison's face. Terry laughed and
rose.

"I have a reason for suspecting that Miss Mathers has changed her mind
and, if it is not too irregular, I should like by way of payment to
drive her to the Kennisburg jail myself and let her be the first to tell
him--I want to give her a reason for remembering me."

CHAPTER XXIV

POLLY MAKES A PROPOSAL

I was dropped in Kennisburg to attend to the legal formalities
respecting Radnor's release, while Terry appropriated the horses and
drove to Mathers Hall. His last word to Mattison and me was not to let a
whisper reach Radnor's ear as to the outcome of the investigation. He
wanted a spectacular denouement. The sheriff assented very soberly. The
truth had at last forced itself upon him that his chances with Polly
were over.

Terry reappeared, two hours later, with a very excited young woman
beside him. They joined us in th