“Tell me!” he cried. “Tell me who put the marked newspaper on the boat that morning!”
“I did,” was the calm reply. “You see,” the boy continued, “those were my diamonds, and——”
“And you paid the reward!”
“I pledged the stones to the lawyer to get the money to pay that reward!” laughed Frank.
It was so noisy for a time, on account of what the boys were saying and doing to Frank, that nothing more was said. Then Clay:
“But the diamonds were stolen?”
“Stolen by a lad who had slept with me in a cheap lodging house on Clark street,” was the reply. “You see, I had kept the stones, even when hungry and cold, because they had been the last gift of my mother. When they were stolen I followed the track of the thief until I came to this dock, where we had often loitered together before. As it turned out, the boy had repented of his act, and was here to return the stones to me, he believing that I would come here to watch your boat, as we had done together many a night. But Lewiso—whose name was Lewis, by the way—saw him have the gems and fought him for them. He secured them and ran away, as you know, before I could interfere or find breath to follow him. Well, you saved the diamond, and the next morning I arranged for the reward to come to you. I guess you know all the rest.”
“Not yet!” broke in Captain Joe. “There is a matter of $300, you know!”
“But you gave that, Captain!”
The good-natured captain pointed to Frank.