“Nonsense, Carter!” scoffed Cray. “Everybody knows you never even look at a woman that way. Seriously, though, hadn’t I better beat it for Hattontown?” That would have appealed to Green Eye if he had had any desire to get rid of his unsuspecting ally. That was not his purpose, however. He had a strong feeling that New Pelham was more promising ground than Hattontown, and, since he was determined that Cray should bear the brunt of the investigation, it was to New Pelham that he meant to send him. “No, I think my way is better,” he insisted quietly. “You will see that later on, Jack, I’m sure. As for Hattontown, a few hours more or less will make no difference. You can start for New England to-night, if necessary.” Jack Cray scratched his closely cropped head in a manner that was characteristic of him when in thought. “All right,” he agreed presently. “Guess I can handle it all. You are usually right in the thick of it, though.” “I’ll be in the thick of it before we are through, Jack,” Gordon assured him, with a hidden gleam in his eyes. And, with that, Cray heavily descended the stairs, and left the house. Now that he was alone, Green Eye leaned back in the chair, allowed his face to relax into its own lines, and indulged in a prolonged fit of silent laughter. “Ernest, my boy, this is the greatest piece of luck you ever had, or ever dreamed of,” he murmured aloud. “What a yarn this will make when you retire and write your reminiscences!” Soon he sobered down, however, and began to consider the case point by point. “I’m willing to stake almost anything on that hunch of mine,” he decided. “I feel sure the clew we are after will turn up at the fellow’s place out in the suburbs sooner or later, and, naturally, I’m not interested in the amount of work Cray is obliged to put into the business, or the wasted efforts it involves.” At the same time, though, he meant to reason the thing out, so far as he could. “This fellow Simpson,” he mused, “has been treasurer of other funds, and has been connected with the auditors’ department for years. That’s probably what influenced him to obtain the money in the bulky or more awkward form of gold. He knew that paper currency of high denomination could be traced by the numbers, if obtained from a bank or any institution which keeps track of such things. On the other hand, he seems to have overlooked the fact that there isn’t a great deal of gold in common use, and that a man who keeps on tendering gold in payment—after the theft of a large quantity of the stuff—is very likely to fall under suspicion. That may give us a clew.