"A toy lantern?" the old man repeated. "Perry had one I guess. He lost it and found it again."

"It happens that Perry's toy lantern was discovered at the scene of the robbery. Perhaps you can explain that."

"I don't know anything about it," said Old Herman dully. "That's the truth."

"We'll see what Perry has to say about it," returned Mr. Nichols.

"Come along."

He led the old man back to the automobile where the boy was waiting.

"Perry," said the detective kindly, "do you remember a toy lantern which Mr. Turner gave you the other day?"

"He didn't give it to me," the lad corrected. "It was mine."

"You had lost it?" Mr. Nichols prompted. "Do you recall how long ago you missed the lantern?"

"It was the night Walter Crocker came to see my grandfather," Perry answered instantly. "I was playing with it then and I think maybe I dropped it into his pocket."

"You put the toy lantern into Walter Crocker's coat pocket?" the detective asked in amazement. "Why did you do that?"

"I don't know," answered Perry with a shrug. "I guess I thought he might sit down on it and the gla.s.s would go bang! That would have been funny."

"I take it that Walter didn't discover the lantern in his pocket?"

"No, he went off in a hurry and I couldn't even get my toy back."

"This puts an entirely different light on the matter," said Mr.

Nichols, speaking slowly. "If Perry is telling the truth, then probably Jay Kline went off without suspecting that the lantern was in his coat. He may have pulled the Kirmenbach job."

"And the toy lantern probably fell from his pocket while he was working at the wall safe," Penny added eagerly. "Can we prove it, Dad?"

"It may be possible to make Kline confess," the detective replied.

"I'll go down to Kendon right away and question him."

With Herman Crocker in custody there was no one to look after Perry, so Penny took the lad back to her cottage. He was tucked into bed with no inkling of the unfortunate fate which had befallen his grandfather.

Penny and Susan sat up until late awaiting the return of Mr. Nichols from Kendon. He came in around midnight and the girls saw at once that he was highly elated.

"Well, Penny, you've won the reward!" he called out gaily.

"Not really!" exclaimed Penny.

"Yes, the case is closed," Mr. Nichols declared, "and Kirmenbach's reward will go to you."

"Tell us all about it," pleaded Penny eagerly.

"Jay Kline broke down and admitted everything. He committed the Kirmenbach robbery and several others as well. However, it was a shock to him when he learned that his conviction came about through Perry's toy lantern. He never dreamed it was in his coat."

"What will become of Herman Crocker?" Penny inquired.

"He has agreed to turn over the major part of his estate to the rightful heir--Michael."

"Will he be sent to prison, Dad?"

"That hasn't been determined, but I imagine he may escape a sentence.

However, in any case, Perry is to be taken from him and turned over to someone who will give him better care."

"I'm glad of that," said Penny. "Did Herman offer any reason for doing what he did?"

"Only that he hoped to keep the fortune for himself. Then too, it seems he wished to pa.s.s it on to his own grandson, Perry. You remember he was the child of Herman's daughter, Ella--the only person whom the old man ever loved."

"Yet he mistreated Perry."

"In a way, yes, but he probably thought more of the boy than any other living person."

"And what is to become of Mrs. Masterbrook?" Penny questioned, lowering her voice.

"I didn't bring her name into the case at all. At heart I doubt that the woman is bad--she is merely a natural born trouble maker. As far as I'm concerned she's free to go on living in this community. I imagine she has learned her lesson."

"There's no question that Michael will get the money, Dad?"

"Not the slightest. And he'll owe all his good fortune to you, Penny.

Come to think of it, I owe you quite a bit myself."

"You?" asked Penny, smiling.

"Yes, you practically solved my case for me," declared the detective.

"Not to mention digging up one of your own."

"I had good fun doing it," laughed Penny. Then her face fell. "I suppose now that all the mystery is solved we'll be going back home again."

"We'll certainly pack up and leave this place," answered Mr. Nichols.

"But we're not starting for home."

"Then where are we going?" asked Penny in surprise.

"I don't know," replied Mr. Nichols, smiling broadly, "but it will be to some nice quiet place where I can have a vacation."

THE END