"And now good-by, and
may God bless you!" His voice trembled ever so little,
and he extended his hand. The girl drew back.
"I want you to come with us," she said. "I want Father
to know you and to know how you have cared for me.
Wont you come--for me?"
"I couldn't refuse, if you put it that way," replied
Bridge; and he climbed into the car. As the machine
started off a boy leaped to the running-board.
"Hey!" he yelled, "where's my reward? I want my re-
ward. I'm Willie Case."
"Oh!" exclaimed Bridge. "I gave your reward to your
father--maybe he'll split it with you. Go ask him." And
the car moved off.
"You see," said Burton, with a wry smile, "how simple
is the detective's job. Willie is a natural-born detective.
He got everything wrong from A to Izzard, yet if it
hadn't been for Willie we might not have cleared up
the mystery so soon."
"It isn't all cleared up yet," said Jonas Prim. "Who
murdered Baggs?"
"Two yeggs known as Dopey Charlie and the Gen-
eral," replied Burton. "They are in the jail at Oakdale;
but they don't know yet that I know they are guilty.
They think they are being held merely as suspects in
the case of your daughter's disappearance, whereas I
have known since morning that they were implicated
in the killing of Baggs; for after I got them in the car
I went behind the bushes where we discovered them
and dug up everything that was missing from Baggs'
house, as nearly as is known--currency, gold and
bonds.
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