"Matter enough," replied Mr. Grayson gravely. "Frank Sherwood has been arrested!" CHAPTER XIX GARRY GETS A SHOCK At his father's announcement Garry Grayson was startled and horrified. "Frank Sherwood, Bill Sherwood's brother?" he gasped. "That's the one," replied Mr. Grayson. "What was he arrested for?" asked Garry. "Speeding?" "Far worse than that," was the answer. "Worse?" "He's charged with theft." "What?" fairly shouted Garry. "Theft? Frank Sherwood a thief? Oh, Dad, he can't be! He's been wild and has been running around with that poolroom gang, but he'd never do anything like stealing!" "I hate to believe it myself," replied his father. "I used to like Frank a lot. And of course a charge isn't proof. But he's been arrested just the same. He's to have a preliminary examination in the police court this morning." "Poor Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood!" exclaimed Mrs. Grayson. "Their hearts will be broken over this." "And poor Bill," mourned Garry. "He won't be able to hold his head up. He thinks the world of Frank." "I'm heartily sorry," declared Garry's father. "The Sherwoods are among the best people of the town. It's too bad Frank ever got in with that poolroom gang. You can't keep bad company and stay clean. Mooney's place ought to be closed up," he added, with a grim tightening of his lips. "I'm going to get the decent people of the town together and see if it can't be done. Mooney is an unprincipled scoundrel." "What is it they say Frank stole?" asked Garry, whose appetite for breakfast had vanished utterly. "The paper doesn't give many details," replied his father. "Those will probably come out in the hearing this morning. The case concerns the disappearance of that three thousand dollars or thereabouts that belonged to Mr. Podder." "Mr. Podder!" exclaimed Garry. "Why, I know something about that matter, Dad! And so do you! Rooster told me about it last fall. Mr. Long gave the money to Sandy to take to his father in pay for some horses Mr. Long had bought of Mr. Podder. Sandy says he stopped at the poolroom on his way home, hung up the coat containing the envelope with the money in it while he shot a game or two at pool, and when he put on his coat again he found only the empty envelope, with the money gone. He was scared, and told his father that Mr. Long hadn't given him the money. "I don't know whether his father believed him or not, but at any rate he tried to get the money again from Mr. Long and said he'd sue him if it wasn't paid. But as luck would have it, Mr. Long had a witness in Rudolph, the gypsy, that he'd paid the money to Sandy, and so the matter ended. Or I thought it had ended." "Amos Podder isn't the kind to pocket a loss of that sort if he can help it," replied Mr. Grayson thoughtfully. "He's probably been investigating, and at last he's fixed the thing on Frank Sherwood."