“Sure enough!” agreed Mr. Briggs. “What did they say about it?”
“Why—I was some flustered,” admitted Somes, doggedly. “Ye see, I was sound asleep when I heard from the Sudds’ of the robbery there.”
“When did this happen?” asked Dan, quickly.
“Not half an hour ago, I tell ye!” snapped the constable. “Ha! you’re Dan Speedwell, ain’t ye?”
“Yes.”
“Well, your brother’s mixed up in this thing, now I tell ye!”
“Oh, how?” cried Dan. “What do you mean?”
“Surely not in the robbery of Mr. Sudds’ house?” said Mr. Armitage.
“Wa’al, it’s mighty funny,” snapped Josiah. “As I tell ye, they telephoned me that two men had entered through a lower window, opened the library safe, and took jewelry and money—ten thousand dollars’ wuth. One of the men had been in the house early in the evening—so they thought. He was a stranger, and made out he had some business with the colonel.”
Mr. Sudds was a “colonel” by courtesy, having at one time served on the Governor’s staff.