“Let’s look a little deeper, Chick, and see how far some of the other facts sustain this theory. I was held up when on my way out there Tuesday morning,” continued Nick. “That may have been merely a coincidence, the scamps possibly having been laying in wait for some victim, though there still remains a chance of something even more than that under the surface.” “Decidedly so,” replied Chick. “Such things don’t often happen by chance.” “We’ll investigate that a little later.” “Sure.” “After the hold-up, Chick, I hastened to Badger’s house, arriving there within ten minutes after the robbery,” Nick went on. “Then it must have occurred pretty near his place.” “Within half a mile.” “That, too, is significant.” “In a measure,” assented Nick. “I found his chauffeur cleaning a Stanley machine in the driveway, where I could not help observing him. Ordinarily such a job would be done in the stable or garage, and I am now inclined to think that it was done outside only intentionally to make me believe, in case of any distrust, that Badger uses a Stanley machine, and not such a car as that in which I saw the thieves escape.” “Do you know how many machines he owns?” “I do not, Chick. In fact, I know very little about him or his place.” “We’ll make it a point to learn.” “I did not fancy the looks nor air of his chauffeur,” continued Nick. “He appeared to avoid my questions, and I now suspect that may have been done to give Badger time to get out of his rig as a highwayman and into the house suit and red flannel bandages in which he received me.” “You think that whole business was designed only to blind you, in case you had any suspicions?” “That certainly would have been the design, Chick, providing that we are justified in suspecting him at all.” “There are too many of these significant little circumstances, Nick, for us to doubt that we are hitting somewhere near the mark,” Chick shrewdly reasoned. “That’s the way I now regard them,” said Nick. “After my talk with Badger, in which I stated I should call upon Madame Victoria, he may have telephoned the fact to the fortune-teller. I noticed that he had a telephone in the hall.” “That would explain her knowledge of you, Nick,” said Chick. “But bear in mind that you were in disguise when you first called upon her.” “I remember that, Chick.” “How can she have known you?” “Badger may have been alarmed by my visit,” argued Nick, “and he possibly suspected that I might adopt some disguise. Very likely he mentioned some distinctive feature about my person, one which I would not ordinarily remove, by which Madame Victoria may have identified me.” “That may have been the case,” admitted Chick.