"I don't know anything about it," said Old Herman dully. "That's the truth."
"We'll see what Perry has to say about it," returned Mr. Nichols. "Come along."
He led the old man back to the automobile where the boy was waiting.
"Perry," said the detective kindly, "do you remember a toy lantern which Mr. Turner gave you the other day?"
"He didn't give it to me," the lad corrected. "It was mine."
"You had lost it?" Mr. Nichols prompted. "Do you recall how long ago you missed the lantern?"
"It was the night Walter Crocker came to see my grandfather," Perry answered instantly. "I was playing with it then and I think maybe I dropped it into his pocket."
"You put the toy lantern into Walter Crocker's coat pocket?" the detective asked in amazement. "Why did you do that?"
"I don't know," answered Perry with a shrug. "I guess I thought he might sit down on it and the glass would go bang! That would have been funny."
"I take it that Walter didn't discover the lantern in his pocket?"