ack for fear of being arrested," was
Shadow's comment. "Even if he is innocent they may be able to convict
him."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you about that," burst out Phil. "Less than four
months after my uncle disappeared, some men were arrested in
Springfield, for a theft committed at one of the banks there. During the
trial it came out that one of these criminals had been in our town
during the time when the funds disappeared from our trust company. This
rascal's movements were traced by the authorities, and then he was given
what they call 'the third degree.' At that examination he broke down,
and admitted that he had taken the funds which my Uncle Lester was
supposed to have stolen. The affair created a great stir, and those who
had proceeded against my uncle made all sorts of apologies to my father.
They also did their best to locate Uncle Lester."

"And didn't they hear anything at all?" asked Ben.

"Not a word. We got what we thought were clues, but every one of them
proved false."

"Maybe he is dead."

"That may be. But if we can't prove it, it leaves the matter of the land
just as unsettled as before."

"If your uncle is alive he must remember about the land, and must know
that the matter will give your father a lot of trouble," suggested
Roger.

"That is true, Roger. But when a man is accused of a grave crime like
that, he isn't apt to think about other things."

"You say he is older than your father?" queried Dave.

"Oh, yes, a good deal older--ten or twelve years, at least. If he is
still alive he must be well advanced in years."

"What does your father propose to do about the land?" questioned Ben,
after a pause in the conversation.

"He doesn't know what to do. He's at a complete standstill."

"Won't the railroad company lease the land?" questioned Dave.

"No. They told dad that they wanted to buy and build. They prefer his
land to any other in East Haven, but at the same time, if they can't get
his property, they are going to look elsewhere."

"Twenty or thirty thousand dollars is a heap of money to let slip
through one's fingers," was Shadow's comment. "It's a shame you can't
find out where your uncle is, or what has become of him."

"Why not advertise again?" suggested Dave. "If your uncle is still alive
he must read some newspapers, and he might possibly see the notice."

"Father thinks something of doing that, Dave, but it looks like rather a
hopeless case," returned Phil Lawrence. He