ain't, they're somewheres else," said Philo.

"Mr. Gubb," said Mr. Smith impressively "there are large interests
at stake in this case. Larger interests than you imagine. We are
all interested at this moment in clearing your client of the
suspicion--which I hope is an unjust suspicion--now resting over and
upon him. I need not say what the interests are, but they are very
powerful. I feel confident that those interests could succeed in
clearing Snooks Turner."

"Well, I guess, if I was left alone long enough to get down from this
ladder, I could clear him myself. I didn't study in the Rising Sun
Deteckative Agency's Correspondence School of Deteckating for
nothing," said Philo Gubb. "Snooks hired me--"

"And he did well!" said Attorney Smith heartily. "I praise his acumen.
I wonder if I might be permitted, on behalf of the powerful interests
I represent, to contribute to the expense of the work you will do?"

"I guess you might," said Philo Gubb. "Deteckating runs into money."

"The interests I represent," said Mr. Smith, taking out his wallet,
"will contribute ten dollars."

And they did. They put a crisp ten-dollar bill in Philo Gubb's hands.

"And now, having shown our unity of interest with young Mr. Turner,
there can be no harm in telling us where that beer is, can there?"

He turned toward the kitchen door--for Nan Kilfillan stood there. Her
eyes were red and swollen. Attorney Smith hastily excused himself and
went away, and Nan came into the kitchen.

"Oh, Mr. Gubb!" she exclaimed. "You _will_ get Snooks out of jail,
won't you? It would break my heart if he was sent to the penitentiary,
and I _know_ he has done nothing wrong! He is depending on you, Mr.
Gubb. I brought you ten dollars--it is all I have left of last month's
wages, but it will help a little, won't it?"

"Thank you," said Philo Gubb, taking the money. "I cannot estimate in
advance what the cost of his clearance will be. It may be more, and it
may be less. It is a complicated case. I am just about going to get
down from this ladder and start working on it vigorously. If you--"

He stopped.

"If you wish to help us in this case, Miss Kilfillan," he said, "will
you go to the jail and ask Snooks where is the beer and the
beer-opener?"

"Where is--" Her face went white. "What beer and what beer-opener?"
she asked tensely.

"Seven bottles and a beer-opener," said Philo Gubb.

"Oh!" she moaned. "And he said he didn't do it! He swore he d