Connecticut western news., 1920-03-18
CHAPTER w.
Two Hats on a Rack.

One casual remark of Mackenzie had given Kate a clew., Even before she had explained it. Curly caught the point and began to dig for the truth. For though he was almost a boy, the others leaned on him with the ex- pectation that in the absence of Ma loney he would take the lead.
 Tn the morning he and Kate had a talk with his uncle on the subject. Not content with this, he made the whole party adjourn to the club rooms so that he might see exactly where Luck had sat and the different places the sheepman had stood from the time he entered until the poker players left.
 Together Billie Mackenzie and Alec Flandrau dramatized the scene for the young people. Mac personated the sheepman, came into the room, hung up his hat, lounged over to the poker table, said his little piece as well as he could remember it, and passed into the next room. Flandrau, Senior, talk ing the role of Cullison, presently got up lifted his hat from the rack, and went to the door.
 With excitement trembling in her voice, the girl asked an eager ques- tion. "Were their hats side by side like that on adjoining pegs" P.t. ..
 That's how remember it."
 "Both gray hats?'' Curly cut in. 7
 Cant be sure of that Luck's was gray all right" ..Vl..t@
 Curly looked at Late and nodded. T reckon we know how Cass got MT. Cullison's hat. It was left on the rack" s1.#
 ''How do you mean?" his uncle asked. 5...fl ..r. ..M *
 Don't you seeF' the girl explained, her eyes shining with excitement. "Father took the wrong hat. You know how ahsent-minded he is some times" <.
 Mackenzie slapped his knee. ''Fll bet stack of blues you've guessed it."
 There's way to make sure" Curly said. ''Fendrick couldn't wear MT. Cullison's hat around without the risk of someone remembering it later What would he do thenY -s
 Kate beamed. Buy another at the nearest store"
 '"That would be my guess. And the nearest store is the New York en- porium. We've got to find out whether he did buy one there on Tuesday some time after nine o'clock in the morn ing" F..
 The girls eyes were sparkling. She hustled with businesslike energy. "In go and ask right away"
 Don't you think we'd better let Uncle Alec find out? He's not so likely to stir up curiosity" Curly sug- gested. ~'A.
 Within a quarter of an hour Alec Flandrau joined the others at the hotel. "You kids are right at the head of the class in the detective game. Cass bought a brown hat, about 80 in the mo'ning. Paid five dollars for it. Wouldn't let them deliver the old one but took it with him in a paper sack" .-.-@
 With her lieutenants f1anking her Kate went straight to the office of the sheriff. Bolt heard the story out and considered it thoughtfully.
 "You win, Miss Cullison. You haven't proved Fendrick caused your fathers disappearance by foul play, and you haven't proved he committed the robbery. Point Of fact l don't think he did either one RI1t if rar- tainly looks like he may possibly have manufactured evidence"
 Curly snorted scornfully. You're letting your friend down easy. MT. Bolt. By his own story he was on the ground minute after the robbery took place. How do we, know he wasn't there minute before? For if he didn't know the holdup was go- Ing to occur why did he bring MT.