'soreheads.'"

"Dodge has vanished," continued Bradley. "He went out early this
morning, and hasn't been seen since. Tonight, just after dark,
a man walking by the river, up above the bend, picked up a coat
and hat on the bank. Letters in the pocket showed the coat to
be Mr. Dodge's. The finder of the coat hurried to the Dodge house,
and Mrs. Dodge hurriedly notified the police, asking Chief Coy
to keep the whole matter quiet. Jerry (Chief Coy) doesn't know
that we have a blessed word about this. But Jerry, his plain
clothes man, Hemingway, and two other officers are out on the
case. They have been on the job for nearly three hours. So far
they haven't learned a word. They can't drag the river until
daylight comes. Now, Prescott, what occurs to you as the thing
to do?"

"I guess the only thing," replied Dick quietly, "is to find
Theodore Dodge."

Mr. Bradley gasped.

"Well, yes; you have the right idea, young man. But can you find
Dodge, Dick?"

"When do you go to press?"

"Latest at four o'clock in the morning."

"I think I can either find Theodore Dodge, or else find where
he went to," Prescott replied, slowly. "Of course, that's brag---not
promise."

"You get us the story---straight and in detail," cried Bradley,
eagerly, "and there'll probably be a bit extra in it for you---a
good bit, perhaps. If Dodge doesn't turn up without sensation
this is going to be our big story for a week. Dodge, you know,
is vice-president and actual head of the Second National Bank."

"Whew!" thought Dave Darrin, to himself. "It's easy enough for
any suspicious person to imagine a story! But it might not be
the right one."

"Some time ago," asked Dick thoughtfully, "didn't you publish
a story about some of the big amounts of insurance carried by
local rich men?"

"Yes," nodded Bradley.

"I think you stated that Theodore Dodge carried more than any
other citizen of Gridley."

"Yes; he carries a quarter of a million dollars of insurance."

"Is the insurance payable to his widow, or others---or to his
estate?"

"I don't know," mused News Editor Bradley, a very thoughtful look
coming into his face.

"Well, it's worth while finding out," pursued Dick. "See here,
suppose Dodge has been using the bank's funds, and found himself
in a corner that he couldn't get out of? Then, if the insurance
money goes to his widow, it would be hers, and no court could
take it from her for the benefit of his creditors