Mr. Bell, for he was the stalwart personage, stood aside with a look of
warm satisfaction, as Peggy's turn over, Jess and Jimsy came forward. What
a joyous reunion that was, I will leave you to imagine. Then came Mr.
Bell's story of his telegram to Sandy Beach to the judge, who was a
friend of his. The message had announced that he had obtained complete
confessions from both Joey Eccles and the unsavory Slim. Roy's release
from bail and suspicion at once followed.
Eccles had owned up to his part in the mischief that had been wrought
against the young Prescotts. Frankly, and without reserve, he had sworn to
a statement before a local attorney, in which he admitted losing the bill
with the mark upon it, on the night he had aided in decoying Roy to the
old house. His assistant had been a cast off workman of the Mortlake
plant, of whose whereabouts Joey said he was now ignorant.
Then had come Slim's turn. Sullenly, but with the alternative of prison
staring him in the face, he had admitted to impersonating the foreign spy.
The part of Roy on that eventful night had been played by:
"Guess whom?" said Mr. Bell, looking round.
They all shook their heads.
"I'll tell you about that part of it later," said Mr. Bell. "There are
still one or two things to be cleared up in that connection. But," he
continued, "Palmer confessed that it was Mortlake who robbed the
farm-house safe, the object being, of course, not so much the money, as a
chance to put Roy out of the race contest.
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