"The police thought
they had one or two clues, but they have all turned out to be false.
They arrested one fellow in Pittsburgh, thinking he was Tim Crapsey,
but he turned out to be somebody else."

"Then they haven't any word at all about Ward Porton?"

"No, that rascal seems to have disappeared from the face of the
earth."

"How is your father getting along, Ben?"

"He isn't doing so well, Dave. This loss of the miniatures was a
terrible blow to him. You see, the real estate business lately has not
been quite as good as it might be. My father went into several pretty
heavy investments, and he needed a little more money to help him
through. So when he got word about this fortune in pictures, he at
once thought that he could sell some of the miniatures and use the
proceeds in his real estate deals. Now that end of the business is at
a standstill."

"Is your father actually suffering for the want of some cash?" asked
our hero, quickly. "If he is, I think my father or my Uncle Dunston
can help him out."

"Your father has already promised to assist him, and so has Mr.
Wadsworth, Dave. But that isn't the thing. You know my father is an
independent sort of man, and it worries him to think that he can't
stand entirely on his own feet in his real estate transactions. Of
course, if he were well enough to be around I suppose he could adjust
matters without any special assistance. But it's hard lines when
things go wrong and you are flat on your back in bed."

"Yes, I can understand that. And it must worry your mother, too."

"Oh, it does! Ma isn't the same woman. She is awfully pale and quite
thin. The doctor told her not to worry so, or she'd be down on her
back, too."

"Well, you'll have to do what you can to cheer up both of them." Dave
drew a long breath. "I do wish somebody would catch those two rascals,
not only on your account but on my account also. I'd like to settle
matters with Porton, for having impersonated me at those stores, and
for taking my cap and overcoat."

"We've offered a reward of five thousand dollars for the return of the
miniatures, and another thousand each for the capture of the thieves,"
announced Ben. "That ought to be a strong inducement for the
detectives to do all they possibly can."

"We thought you might possibly get an offer from Porton or Crapsey, or
both of them, to return the miniatures for a certain amount," went on
Dave. "But you say no such offer has come in?"

"No."