ou. Perhaps she may know something about them."

"Ah, very likely," Wallace said. "He told us he had returned them to the
owner. I expect that is it, Harding. He has sent or given them to her.
She will be able to put the matter straight, however, when she comes
in."

"I should have liked to let Mrs. Eustace know to-night, but it is too
late now," Harding remarked. "It's long after midnight."

"Go over directly after breakfast in the morning. I'll see to the office
until you return. It will be necessary to wire to the general manager
about Durham's suggestion, but we must have her opinion first."

"I suppose she has heard about Mr. Dudgeon," Harding said. "It's a bad
business all through."

"There is his will, Harding; don't forget that. Not many people would be
inclined to call that a bad business if they were in Mrs. Eustace's
place."

It was the one grain of comfort Harding felt he was carrying with him
when, on the following morning, he walked through the town to Smart's
cottage.

Already the news of the Rider's end was common property. When Mrs.
Eustace came to him in the little sitting-room, it was of that she
spoke.

"Oh, who was he, Fred? Bessie heard that Mr. Durham had refused to tell
anyone but you. Is that so? Surely I may know. Surely I am entitled to
so small a satisfaction as that?"

"I do not know who he was," Harding replied. "Durham came to us late
last night, too late for me to come and tell you, but he mentioned no
name. He said something I would have liked to have been able to repeat
to you at once, but it was too late. So I have come as early as this.
Durham asked me specially to come. He said--he hoped you----"

She drew herself up as he paused, clasped her hands, and pressed them to
her breast.

"What is it, Fred? You have some--something terrible--to say," she said
in a whisper.

"Not terrible, Jess, but it is sad. Durham said he hoped you would find
some consolation in it. So do I. So do we all. The Rider, whoever he may
have been, confessed. He said Eustace was innocent."

She remained quite still, without a sound, staring at him.

"The bank was robbed by the Rider and another, Durham said, but Eustace
was not one of the two. He was absolutely innocent. We have wired to the
general manager to say so."

"Fred, I don't believe it. I can't believe it. Why did he run away if he
were innocent? I will never rest until I know who the man Mr. Durham
shot really was. Where is Mr. Dur