t.

"They wouldn't be half bad, would they? Have some?" Clint nodded and
four rather sad-looking rings of pastry appeared. It was still only a
quarter past seven and, since they could not continue their journey
before nine-forty-six, they consumed the crullers and their second cups
of coffee more leisurely. The little restaurant began to get pretty
smoky, and the combined odours of a dozen breakfasts, now that they had
completed their own repasts, failed to delight them. But they stayed on,
hating the thought of the walk to the station, quite satisfied to remain
there without moving in the warmth and cheerful bustle. If they could
have laid their heads against the wall and gone to sleep they'd have
asked nothing more. Amy nodded drowsily once or twice and Clint stared
out the sunny window with the somnolent gaze of a well-fed cat. It was,
he reflected, a very beautiful world. And then their pleasant day-dreams
were disturbed by the sudden and rather boisterous entry of a big,
broad-shouldered man who seemed to take entire possession of the
restaurant and quite dwarf its size.

"Hello, boys!" The newcomer skimmed his hat dexterously to a peg, pulled
out a chair with twice as much noise as usually accompanies such an
operation and plumped his big body into it with a heartiness which
almost set the dishes to rattling in the kitchen. Everyone in the room
except the two boys answered his greeting.

"Hello, Mike! How's the lad?"

"Fine! And hungry to beat the band! Can, you old rascal! Where are you?
Fry me a couple of eggs and some bacon, Can, and draw one."

"All right, Mike!" The proprietor's pink face showed for an instant at
the window. The newcomer opened a morning paper with a loud rustling,
beating the sheets into place with the flat of a huge hand. "You fellows
hear about the burglary?" he asked.

CHAPTER IX

UNDER SUSPICION

"Burglary? No. Where was it?" asked several voices.

"Black and Wiggin's jewelry store."

"_What?_ Who says so?"

"I says so! I seen it just now."

"Saw the burglary?"

"Naw! Saw where they'd cut a chunk out of the window and gone in. Where
you fellows been all morning?"

"Maybe you did it, Mike," suggested a small man across the room, winking
to his neighbour.

"Maybe I wished I had!" was the reply. "They say they got away with
nearly a thousand dollars' worth of stuff. Blew the safe, they did, and
cleaned it out pretty."

"That right? When was this, Mike?"

"Some ti