"And it ain’t sure they got away by train," said the storekeeper. "Who has gone out by boat, or left in an automobile?" "That’s what I say," Tobias observed, still staring at the gold knife. "Maybe them burglars ain’t left town at all. No tellin’. Humph! I cal’late I’d better give this to Arad." He walked to the side door of the bank—the door opening on the lane—and punched the button. CHAPTER XIX SUSPICIONS Lorna Nicholet was some time doing Miss Ida’s marketing on this morning. When she finally came out of the butcher’s shop and started for her car she observed Conny Degger sitting on the Inn porch. The young man threw away his cigarette and started up, evidently intending to greet her. To tell the truth, Lorna was sorry to see Degger. Just at this time she did not crave any conversation with him. Had Jackson not stepped out of the car and crossed over the way to join the crowd before the bank, she would have given Degger a very curt "good-morning" and told the chauffeur to drive home. She did not know, however, that she had any personal reason for snubbing Degger. She sighed, and as he raised his cap nonchalantly, she offered him a polite smile. "At last something has struck Clinkerport to wake it up, Miss Lorna." His bruised face was much more presentable, but the two missing teeth made his smile sinister. Lorna had found no opportunity to question Ralph about that fight before he had gone away. She knew but one side of the story, yet, somehow, she failed to make herself believe that Degger’s tale had been exact. The insinuations—more, the direct accusation—Degger made regarding Ralph and the Devine girl seemed less reasonable the more Lorna thought about it. She had known Ralph ever since she had known anybody. He was chivalrous by nature, generous to a fault, kindly of motive, and always the gentleman. Might not these very attributes of character have led him into some entanglement with a designing girl that the latter was now trying to take advantage of? What Lorna so well knew of Ralph’s character did not fit the college reputation Degger gave him. Lorna’s ready tongue replied with little hesitation to Degger’s remark: "What a dreadful thing! If the depositors have to lose any of their money——" "Oh, if the bank officers were up to date they carried burglary insurance enough to cover the loss." "But a hundred and forty thousand dollars!" Degger’s eyes twinkled. "Some haul—I’ll say it is!" he agreed. "Those yeggs must have been vastly astonished when they found all that in the safe. No wonder they did not stop to tinker with the post-office." "Oh! Have they discovered already who did it?"