“That’s right, Charlie,” said Luke.
“One of these men was named Rother and the other called himself Meggs,” went on the Chinese student. “The house was a large, country establishment of wealth, and among the visitors was an old man who was not as good as he might have been. I mean he was addicted to the vice of drink,” said Charlie, with a shudder of disgust.
“However, I must not get on to that,” went on the Chinese student. “It always fills me with disgust. But this old man who came to the house where Rother and Meggs worked with Hop Wong was a drinker. Rother and Meggs forced Hop Wong to get them some liquor so they could sell it to this old man, whose name the laundryman does not know. This man, cut off from his liquor supply because of police activities, was glad to rely on the scoundrels Rother and Meggs.”
“But where does the Corner House come in?” asked Neale.
“I am coming to that,” replied Charlie. “It is a curious story. It depends on you, yourselves, how much you believe. This man—this old toper, I think you call it, knew a Mr. Peter Stower——”
“Why, he was our uncle!” cried Ruth. She was greatly surprised.
“Well, there is supplied the connection,” remarked the translator, calmly. “This old man knew Mr. Peter Stower and had often, so he told Rother and Meggs, visited at the Corner House, as you call it. Once, while there, he says he helped Mr. Stower hide an iron box of money in the cellar.”
“He did?”
“When?”
“Where?”