The man died of epilepsy last night. Bridge and the boy
were taking refuge from the storm at the Squibbs place when I was thrown
from the car. They heard the shot and came to my rescue. I am sure they
had nothing to do with--with--" she hesitated.

"Tell the truth," commanded Burton. "It will go hard with you if you
don't. What made you hesitate? You know something about those two--now
out with it."

"The boy robbed Mr. Prim's home--I saw some of the money and
jewelry--but Bridge was not with him. They just happened to meet by
accident during the storm and came to the Squibbs place together. They
were kind to me, and I hate to tell anything that would get the boy in
trouble. That is the reason I hesitated. He seemed such a nice boy!
It is hard to believe that he is a criminal, and Bridge was always
so considerate. He looks like a tramp; but he talks and acts like a
gentleman."

The telephone bell rang briskly, and a moment later the butler stepped
into the room to say that Mr. Burton was wanted on the wire. He returned
to the living room in two or three minutes.

"That clears up some of it," he said as he entered. "The sheriff just
had a message from the chief at Toledo saying that The Oskaloosa Kid is
dying in a hospital there following an automobile accident. He knew he
was done for and sent for the police. When they came he told them he had
killed a man by the name of Paynter at Oakdale last night and the chief
called up to ask what we knew about it. The Kid confessed to clear
his pal who was only slightly injured in the smash-up. His story
corroborates Miss Penning's in every detail, he also said that after
killing Paynter he had shot a girl witness and thrown her from the car
to prevent her squealing."

Once again the telephone bell rang, long and insistently. The butler
almost ran into the room. "Payson wants you, sir," he cried to Burton,
"in a hurry, sir, it's a matter of life and death, sir!"

Burton sprang to the phone. When he left it he only stopped at the
doorway of the living room long enough to call in: "A mob has the two
prisoners at Payson and are about to lynch them, and, my God, they're
innocent. We all know now who killed Paynter and I have known since
morning who murdered Baggs, and it wasn't either of those men; but
they've found Miss Prim's jewelry on the fellow called Bridge and
they've gone crazy--they say he murdered her and the young one did for
Paynter. I'm going to Payson," and dashed