“Well!” exclaimed Nick, “that’s rather interesting.”
“Yes—and mysterious. I’ll tell you a fact or two without stopping to say how I squeezed them from the lieutenant governor.
“Some six or seven weeks ago a man unknown here called on Gov. Bradley. We know his name was Leonard and that he and the governor had been in some sort of business deal together years before.
“That much is known, because a part of their conversation was accidentally overheard.
“Nobody thought anything of it at the time, of course, for it all seemed natural and straight enough.
“The lieutenant governor heard Leonard asking about some papers of some kind.
“‘They’re safe,’ Gov. Bradley told him.
“‘That’s all well enough for you to say,’ Leonard responded, ‘but I’d rather keep them myself. Then I’d know.’”
Dinsmore paused.