He hurried out to his auto, and was soon speeding back over the road on which he had come. He reached the spot where the auto collision had occurred, and where he had helped fix Cora's machine. Jumping from the car he looked carefully over the ground, but could find no trace of the missing wallet, containing the equivalent of twenty thousand dollars. "I must hurry to tell the police," he murmured as he urged his machine forward at top speed. A little later Cora and Walter, who had returned to Chelton, saw Ed standing on the steps of the police station. "Why!" Cora exclaimed to Walter in some surprise, "I thought Ed was in New City, attending to that bank business." "He ought to be," commented Walter. Then, noting Ed's white face, he added: "Something's happened!" A moment later Jack, who had left the Robinson twins at their home, drove up in his runabout, and stopped it beside his sister's larger car. He, too, saw Ed Foster's white face. "What's the matter, Ed?" he called quickly. "Are you hurt?" "No," was the answer, and the voice was strained. "But something has happened," insisted Cora as she alighted from her car and started up the steps of the police station. "Yes," he said, and his voice trembled, "something has happened." "What?" asked Jack. "I've lost twenty thousand dollars--or--else it has been stolen!" "Twenty thousand dollars!" cried Jack. "The money you were taking to the bank?" Ed nodded. "Where?" was Jack's next question. "That's what I don't know. If I did I'd go get it." "But if it was stolen--" began Cora. "The thief is far enough away from here now," finished Ed, trying to smile. "However, I think I lost it near where the collision took place. I just came from there to report the matter to the police." "But how could you lose it?" asked Cora, taking off her heavy driving gloves and fanning her face with them. "I don't know, unless when I leaned over to fix the mud guard of your auto the wallet may have slipped from my pocket. But I've looked every inch about that spot," and then Ed related how he had come to miss the money and securities. "Oh, we must go back and help you look!" exclaimed Cora quickly. "Of course we will, won't we, Jack--Walter?" "Sure," replied her brother, and Walter gravely nodded. He was trying to recall every incident of the happenings after the collision. "We'll go right away," went on Cora. "Crank up, Walter. Few persons go over that road in the afternoon, and maybe we can find it." "Oh, I assure you that it's useless," declared Ed. "I am only waiting here to report the matter to Chief Jenkins, and then I'm going to telephone the officials at the bank in New City, as I promised I would." "Can't you stop payment?" asked Jack. "Not on the money, and not very easily on the negotiable securities. That's the unfortunate part of it. If it had been a check I could."