before all
this rumpus occurred. Even if Mose did see a ghost, the ghost had
nothing to do with it."

"You have absolutely no proof of that; it is nothing but surmise."

Clancy smiled with an air of patient tolerance.

"How about the letter?" he inquired. "How do you explain that?"

"I don't explain it; it is none of my business. But I dare say Radnor
will do so readily enough--there he is going toward the stables; we will
call him over."

"No, hold on, I haven't finished what I want to say. I was employed by
Colonel Gaylord to find out who stole the bonds and I have done so. But
the Colonel did not suspect the direction my investigations would take
or he never would have engaged me. Now I am wondering if it would not be
kinder not to let him know? He's had trouble enough with his elder son;
Radnor is all he has left. The young man seems to me like a really
decent fellow--I dare say he'll straighten up and amount to something
yet. Probably he considered the money as practically his already; anyway
he's been decent to me and I should like to do him a service. Now say we
three talk it over together and settle it out of court as it were. I've
put in my time down here and I've got to have my pay, but perhaps it
would be better all around if I took it from the young man rather than
his father."

This struck me as the best way out of the muddle, and a very fair
proposition, considering Clancy's point of view. I myself did not for an
instant credit his suspicions, but I thought the wisest thing to do was
to tell Rad just how the matter stood and let him explain in regard to
the letter. I left Clancy waiting in the summer house while I went in
search of Rad. I wished to be the one to do the explaining as I knew he
was not likely to take any such accusation calmly.

I found him in the stables, and putting my hand on his shoulder, marched
him back toward the garden.

"Rad," I said, "Clancy has formed his conclusions as to how the bonds
left the safe, and I want you to convince him that he is mistaken."

"Well? Let's hear his conclusions."

"He thinks that you took them when you took the money."

"You mean that I stole them?"

"That's what he thinks."

"He does, does he? Well he can prove it!"

Radnor broke away from me and strode toward the summer house. The
detective received his onslaught placidly; his manner suggested that he
was used to dealing with excitable young men.

"Sit down, Mr. Gaylord, and let's di