town," Mr. Nichols said. "But his
name was Walter Crocker."

"Then I'll not trouble you further," said the visitor, arising. "Thank
you for your time."

He bowed to Penny and her father and drove away in his car.

"He was afraid to tell me any more about the case for fear I'd charge
him a fee," chuckled Mr. Nichols. "Very likely by the time Mr. Madden
gets back to Chicago his partner will be there too."

"Dad," said Penny thoughtfully, "maybe the man we picked up really was
Jay Kline."

"What was that?" Mr. Nichols demanded.

"I said, perhaps the fellow who rode to town with us wasn't Walter
Crocker at all but merely told us that name--"

"I can't keep up with your theories," Mr. Nichols laughed. "You have a
new one every minute."

"That's because there are so many new developments, Dad. I wonder if
it's too late to stop Mr. Madden?"

"He's a mile down the road by this time. And I'm glad of it because I
don't want you to make yourself or me look ridiculous. What gave you
the idea that Jay Kline and Walter Crocker are one and the same person?"

"I don't know," admitted Penny. "It just came to me all at once.
Walter Crocker mysteriously disappeared--"

"You mean he went back to the city."

"We don't know that at all," Penny argued. "Did anyone except you and
me see Walter Crocker? No! He went to talk with his uncle, Herman
Crocker, and was seen no more. His automobile mysteriously appears in
Crocker's barn--"

"Not so loud!" Mr. Nichols warned. "I think Mrs. Masterbrook is
standing by the dining room door."

Penny subsided into hurt silence. She felt that her theories were
logical and she did not like to have her father tease her.

"Well, anyway I didn't think up the toy lantern clue!" she muttered
under her breath.

"That reminds me, I must telephone Inspector Harris," said Mr. Nichols.
"I hope he thinks more of my theory than you do."

Penny could tell that her father was growing deeply interested in the
Kirmenbach robbery case and following his talk with Inspector Harris,
he admitted that he had promised to do further work.

"It's likely to be a tough case," he told Penny the next morning.
"Harris thinks we'll have no luck in tracing the toy lantern. I'm
driving over to the Kirmenbach place again this morning."

"I believe I'll stay here this time," she replied.

Penny was glad that she elected to remain, for a short time after her
father left, Herman Crocker drove into the yard