One day, after much agitation, Small decided that it must have been the day of the murder that he missed the boat; and one of his "kids" told him that "a gentleman with flannel clothes and whiskers" took away the boat "right early," and neither boat nor man had ever reappeared.
Then Ferrars tore his hair and fumed at the long delay only to learn that Jerry Small had left his house on the day after the murder to attend a sick brother, and had returned just two days ago.
"It's of no use," fumed the detective to Doctor Barnes; "I shall put a couple of fellows I know in the Jerry Small vicinity; it's right in their line of work, and probably they'll find the man and boy together—in Timbuctoo."
"And you will remain in Glenville, eh?" queried the doctor, grinning openly.
"Yes," with an answering grin, which somehow the doctor did not quite understand. "I'll stay—for a while longer."
As they sat at lunch next day a small boy brought Ferrars a note from the teacher.
"Come to me at once.—H. G."
That was all it said, and Ferrars lost no time in obeying the summons.
"You may not see much in my news," Hilda said, as she closed the door upon intruders. "But I have got Peter's story out of him at last."