He went up and down many streets looking for new structures. He found several, not far from the place where Witherby lived, but at none of them had the bricks in question been used.
Finally Larry found himself in a street directly back of the one on which the boarding-house was located. And, greatly to the surprise of the young reporter, there was a new building going up in the rear of the place where Witherby lived.
“Now to see if any of the million-dollar bricks are used here,” mused Larry, as he approached the structure. “If there are, which the chances are against, it would have been an easy thing for him to have skipped over the back fence some night, gotten the bricks, and jumped back again without any one seeing him.”
As he neared the building, he looked about for a sight of the bricks in question, but saw none. Knowing from past experiences, however, that there might be bricks in the cellar, or piled on the floor in one of the rooms, he walked up the improvised steps, and entered. Carpenters and masons were busy on all sides, but they paid no attention to him. Larry strolled through to the kitchen of the house.
And there, on the floor in front of the range, was a pile of enameled bricks—the same sort that had replaced the million dollars in the valise!
“By Jove!” cried Larry. “I’ve found what I’ve been looking for! I’ve found the pile of bricks that are near a house where a bank clerk lives!”
For a moment his heart beat so fast that it seemed as if it would choke him. And then, though he realized that his clew might mean much, he knew that there was still much to be done, to clinch the robbery on Witherby.
“He may be as innocent as I am,” thought Larry. “I’ve got to go slow. It wouldn’t be fair to print a story to the effect that he lives near some of the million-dollar bricks, until I’ve gotten more proof.”
He looked out of the window of the unfinished kitchen. In full view was the rear of the house where the suspected bank clerk lived, and, as Larry gazed out, he saw a sight which startled him.
Standing at a window of one of the rear rooms of the boarding-house was a man, a man whose face Larry could see was smooth-shaven. But, even as Larry watched he saw the man fit on his lower jaw a big, black, false beard. Then he looked in the glass as if to note the effect. Larry saw the whole scene plainly.