"Yes," agreed Penny, "but the clue may prove to be a valuable one anyway. If this cloth is the same as the toy lantern wick, it's very possible that the thief who stole the Kirmenbach jewels lives right in this town."
"Aren't you forgetting that other stores may have the same kind of material for sale," Susan remarked.
"That's possible of course. Oh, Dad may not consider the clue of much value, but at least it's worth reporting."
Mr. Nichols was sitting on the front porch when the girls reached the cottage. Making certain that Mrs. Masterbrook was not within hearing, Penny told him of her important discovery in the village. Mr. Nichols examined the cloth very closely and then compared it with the wick of the toy lantern.
"The material looks exactly the same to me, Dad!" Penny declared excitedly.
"It is identical," her father agreed. "Where did you say you bought the goods?"
"At Hunters Store. Unfortunately, every woman in Kendon seems to have bought this same material."
Mr. Nichols reached for his hat. "I'm going down there now and talk with the storekeeper," he declared.
"Then you think the clue is important, Dad."
"Yes, I do, Penny. It may not lead to anything, but one can never be sure."