"Oh, sugar!" rejoined Tobias before Lorna could speak. "_Any_body wouldn’t have left the knife and the book right where they’d p’int suspicion at you as robbing the bank. But _some_body would." "Oh, Tobias!" gasped Lorna. "Yes, I been having my suspicions right along," said the lightkeeper. "Tell us something more, Ralphie. Why did you start for New Bedford, and then come back to town again? All these things seem to p’int to trouble." The young man, hesitating, flashed another deprecatory glance at Lorna. He cleared his throat. "Why, you see, Tobias, I got a bunch of mail at the post-office just before I boarded the train. Among the letters was one from a—er—— Well, from a person whom I knew to be in trouble. Serious trouble. Er—the person needed help at once—financial help. I could give that help by returning, drawing some money I had in the Clinkerport Bank, and sending it, registered, to this needy person. "So, you see," Ralph continued, with more confidence, "I did that. I could not then get to New Bedford in time to join the _Nelly G._ at the hour Cap’n Pritchett had told me she would slip her cable. I sent him a telegram explaining that I would try to pick the _Nelly G._ up off the coast down yonder. I went down past Peehawket on an empty freight train, and found Gyp Pellet and his _Gullwing_." "We know all about that, Ralphie," said Tobias. "How you went out and was picked up by Cap Pritchett. But you can see yourself it looked suspicious—’specially to the gossips. Ho—hum! Wal, now, lemme tell you, I had my own suspicions—and I have ’em yet." "What do you mean?" Ralph asked, still scowling in a puzzled way. "I don’t see who could have put that book and that penknife there." "Wake up!" exclaimed the lightkeeper. "Lemme tell you. I heard that feller talking to Lonzo Burtwell one day. Burtwell’s a bad egg if ever I see one. And that other feller is like enough under Burtwell’s thumb." "Conny Degger!" exclaimed Ralph suddenly. "Oh! _That_ is how he got that page out of your address book," murmured Lorna. But neither of the men heard this observation. Ralph’s face expressed anger now, but no uncertainty. He looked over Tobias’s head toward the south. The detective was standing by the road, looking in the same direction. In the distance sounded the explosion of an automobile cut-off. Rafe Silver had got the big limousine again into action. "Where is he?" asked Ralph with sudden decision. "Where is who?" drawled the lightkeeper. "Degger." "I cal’late he and Burtwell air still at the Clinkerport Inn. They was, the last I heard. If they are at the bottom of this business, I give it as my opinion that they are hanging around to throw dust in the eyes of Arad Thompson and this here detective." "What is the matter with that fellow?" broke in Ralph, starting for the roadside. "He can get that car down here on the beach if he tries."