In spite of my effort at composure, there was anxiety in my tone.
"The thief is Radnor Gaylord." I laughed.
"That is absolutely untenable.

Rad is incapable of such an act in the first place, and in the second, he was not in the house when the robbery occurred." "Ah! Then you know that?
And where was he, pray ?" "That," said I, "is his own affair; if he did not tell you, it is because it is not connected with the case." "So! It is just because it _is_ connected with the case that he did not tell me.

I will tell you, however, where he spent the night; he drove to Kennisburg--a larger town than Lambert Corners, where an unusual letter would create no comment--and mailed the bonds to a Washington firm of brokers with whom he has had some dealings.

He took the bag of coin and several unimportant papers in order to deflect suspicion, and his opening the safe the night before for the hundred dollars was merely a ruse to allow him to forget and leave it open, so that the bonds could appear to be stolen by someone else.

Just what led him to commit the act I won't say; he has been in a tight place for several months back in regard to money.