“That’s just what I’m trying to get out of them,” answered the chief, “but it’s like pulling teeth. Sit down and listen to the story.” To Paul, he said, “All right, go on with your story.”
“Well,” began the boy, “how it all began may sound a little fantastic. But you remember, Chief, that a week ago today, Ken’s little sister, Betty, disappeared for about an hour. Jack happened to be on Leonard Street at the moment and he saw her. He couldn’t understand what she was doing there, but after questioning her for some time, she told him that a tall man bought her candy and then took her for a walk and then he left her all alone at almost the end of the town.”
“And so you three became detectives and undertook to find the man, isn’t that so?” commented the chief, smiling.
“Yes, but wait a minute. This man had given Betty a blank, white card.”
“Here it is,” cried Jack, and threw the card on the desk.
The chief and the detective glanced at it casually. “Go on,” said the chief.
“Several days later,” continued Paul, “there was a fire on Water Street and—”
“Yes. I remember that,” said the chief. “And you very bravely ran into the burning house and saved an old couple and an infant. That was a very brave deed, my boy.”
“The important thing,” said Paul, “is that in the door of the room where the infant was, I found another card like that.” He searched in his pocket and produced the evidence. The chief and the detective examined the two cards. “And to make a long story short,” continued Paul, “there was a robbery at Professor Link’s and—”