"Oh, Frank Bowman! you take all my hope away."
"I don't mean to. I want to point out to you—and myself, as well—that to sit idle and wait for the matter to settle itself, is not enough for us who believe Haley is guiltless. We've got to set about disproving the accusation."
"I—I can see you are right," admitted the girl faintly.
"Yes; I am right. But being right doesn't end the matter. The question is: How are we going about it to save Nelson?"
Janice was rather shocked by this conclusion. Frank had seemed so clear up to this point. And then he slumped right down and practically asked her: "What are you going to do about it?"
"Oh, dear me!" cried Janice Day, faintly, "I don't know. I can't think. We must find some way of tracing the real thief. Oh! how can I think of that, when here poor 'Rill and Hopewell are in trouble?"
"Never mind! Never mind, Janice!" said Frank Bowman. "We'll soon get Hopewell home. And I hope, too, that his wife will know enough to keep him away from the hotel hereafter."
"But, suppose she can't," whispered Janice. "You know, his father was given to drinking."
"No! Is that so?"
"Yes. Maybe it is hereditary——"