“You still stick to that statement?”
“Of course, for it’s the truth.”
Mr. Norton drew a long breath. I felt pretty certain that at last he believed me.
“Well, if Carney did really steal the bag, why didn’t you stop him?”
“I couldn’t. He had a pistol, and he threatened to shoot me if I moved out of the chair.”
“I ought to get that bag back,” he went on, with a decided shake of his head.
“What was the scheme father and you had?” I asked.
“Can you keep a secret?” questioned Mr. Norton in a low voice.
“Certainly I can,” I replied, never dreaming of what was coming.