“You were going to sneak in again and take it,” broke in Sid.
“Yes. I made another false key, for I accidentally left the first one in the door when you came and surprised me, the day I brought your clock back.”
“Why didn’t you ask us for the clock?” inquired Tom.
“Because I was afraid you wouldn’t let me take it. I heard the fellows say how fond you were of it. I thought you wouldn’t miss a wheel from it, if I gave you a better clock.”
“Another one—not a better,” insisted Phil. “But did you drop a letter in here one day?”
“Yes, I did, to Bert Bascome, and I wondered what had become of it.”
“We found it,” said Tom. “Was there something in it about a clock?”
“Yes, I bought an expensive alarm clock from Bert, but I wrote rather sharply to tell him it wasn’t any good. It had the wrong kind of wheels. Bascome was mad at me for not keeping it to pay off some of the money he owes me. That’s all there is to tell.”
“And it’s enough,” declared Sid. “I guess that explains everything. Bascome’s denial was justified.”