“Your tone said it,” was the detective’s rejoinder.
“Do you believe he is the real Howard Milmarsh?” asked Thomas Jarvis.
“Unless another one should turn up with a better claim, I have no right to doubt it.”
“Well, I more than doubt it,” declared Jarvis roughly. “I am the heir at law of this property, and I’m going to have it.”
“I wish you luck,” returned Nick.
With the exception of formal “Good mornings!” that was all of the interview, and Thomas Jarvis retired.
“This puts a new twist into the case,” laughed Nick, when the door closed. “Is it not strange that, with a great fortune like the Milmarsh estate, to say nothing of the wonderful steel-manufacturing business that goes with it, there should be at least one claimant outside of these two Howard Milmarshes. But I wouldn’t give much for Thomas Jarvis’ chance.”
“He’s the fellow who killed his son accidentally, isn’t he?” asked Chick.
“Not so bad as that, although Richard Jarvis was killed while quarreling with his father. He stumbled over something as he was about to strike his father, and fell, with his head against an iron fender. If he were still alive, I suppose he would be claiming to be Howard Milmarsh’s heir.”