“Well, that’s of no consequence. Anyhow, it turned out that I was right, for Andrew Lampton was traced by the police to New York, where he then disappeared, and I believe I saw Howard Milmarsh to-night in the person of T. Burton Potter.”
“That’s a hard thing to get through my head,” confessed Chick.
“I don’t wonder. But I had a good view of Potter, and every lineament was that of Howard Milmarsh. His hair was the same color, the expression of the eyes was the same, and there was a certain poise to his head that I had never seen except in Howard. I did not hear his voice, but no doubt that would only have confirmed my belief that he was the son of my old friend, Howard Milmarsh the elder, whose business, estate, and millions of dollars are seeking their rightful heir.”
“There is somebody else after the estate, isn’t there?”
“Yes. That is why I do not feel at liberty to waste time over this case,” replied the chief gravely. “If we do not find Howard Milmarsh, then Thomas Jarvis, the father of Richard Jarvis—the man Howard believes he killed—will probably claim everything. He is the heir at law if Howard cannot be found.”
“Isn’t there anybody else besides that fellow?”
“No. He is the only member of the family known to be living. I understand he will put in a claim—although he is related to the Milmarshes only by marriage, and has no blood connection. I have never seen this Thomas Jarvis. But I know something about him.”
“Well, we don’t have to think about him, chief, do we, if you are sure this man Potter is Howard Milmarsh? And even if he were not the man, we saw Howard in Maple—or at least, you did—and he is still on earth in some shape or other.”
The ferryboat had been skimming across the North River in the darkness, and was rapidly approaching the Manhattan line of shore, with the masses of twinkling lights in the many skyscrapers, and the occasional sound of bells, whistles, and other signals warning craft to be careful as they approached the wharves.
“There’s the green and red lights of our slip not far ahead,” remarked Chick. “But we don’t have to get back to the taxi till we are right in. Are we going right home?”