“No impudence, Will,” said Mr. Leonard, reprovingly.
“Can’t help it,” said Will, defiantly. “Imperdence was born in me, and it will work loose. Can’t keep it down.”
He turned away with a vexed shrug, and walked toward where something had attracted his attention.
“Who dropped this?” asked the officer, displaying the object he had picked up.
It was a small copper token, about the size of a nickel cent.
“Then you were down here,” said Wilson. “And those are your footprints.”
“I didn’t say they weren’t,” said Will, indifferently.
“’Cause that would look too much as if I was taking my measure for a thief. That’s a game I ain’t playing. S’pose I mought have made the steps, ’cause I was down here.”
Mr. Fitler was closely examining the remainder of the cellar.
“Everything seems right here,” he said. “A rat could hardly get into this place. What’s that you have?” he asked, addressing Will.
“A bit of paper I found while you was talkin’ here. Picked it up from under the box.”
It was a strip of writing paper which Will handed the officer, seemingly a fragment of a letter.
The latter examined it by the light of the lamp. It contained a few lines of writing.
His countenance changed as he slowly read the faintly-written correspondence.
“Read it,” said the officer, handing it to Mr. Leonard.
“---- Monday, at sharp 8. Black-eyed Joe’s mill the crib. The swag is safe, and samples put out. They are fighting shy. Now’s our time to shove, before the scent gets hot. J. P.”
“I didn’t ask you to read it aloud,” said Mr. Fitler. “Such information had best not get to too many ears.”
“Information?” repeated Mr. Leonard. “A riddle, I should call it.”
“It is a riddle with an easy key,” said the officer, dryly. “I wish I knew who Black-eyed Joe was. I never heard of that gentleman before. Where did you get this, Will?”
“Just under the edge of the dry-goods box there.”
Mr. Fitler examined the spot carefully. There were no other suspicious indications.
“It is deuced queer,” he said, reflectively, “for that piece of letter to be down here. I’ve been of the notion that burglars got into the upper part of your store and worked their way down to the basement. But what did they want down here? This adds a new mystery to a queer case.”