"They did not," replies Mr. Appleboy; "they didn't even get a chance at her. She got away."
"Jumped?" inquires the sergeant with a grin.
"That's what she did," acknowledges Appleboy, "after she had kept me chasing up and down for nearly six months."
"Oh, she was a sly one," answers the sergeant sympathetically. "A little vacation up the river would have done her good."
"I suppose there's no objection to my having the teapot back, is there?"
"Sure not," answers the sergeant. "It's yours, ain't it? Of course you can have it back."
"Do you mind letting me have it then?" asks Appleboy.
"Oh, we haven't got your teapot!" exclaims the sergeant. "That was handed over to the property clerk at Police Headquarters. I suppose when the case was set for trial the pot was sent down to the district attorney's office; he's probably got it locked up in his safe,—I mean whatever assistant was going to try the case."
"Well, well," says Mr. Appleboy; "of course, I assumed it was right here, where I saw it last. What would you advise me to do?"
"Better go right down and see the assistant district attorney," says the sergeant. "Skipped her bail, did she? Well, that's a pretty good one, too!"