"No, it must be now," said Peggy, with gentle insistence. "Come!"
Something in her manner seemed to strike the girl.
"You'll promise no harm will come to me or my father through this?" she said.
"Is your father very deeply implicated in the matter?" asked Peggy seriously, looking straight into the other's eyes.
"No. On my word of honor, no," was the response.
"Very well, then, I'll tell you all I know about the matter," said Hester, as the girls got into the car.
An hour later, in the library of the Prescott's home, Peggy, Roy, Jimsy and Jess were gathered listening to Hester's story. Her eyes were red from crying and she hesitated frequently, but her manner showed that she was telling the truth.
On a table lay the glistening jewels. Jess had counted them and found that they were all there.
"I didn't find out about the jewels till one night Fanning, who has always said he admired me," said Hester, with downcast eyes, "gave me that big ruby there. At least he didn't give it to me but he said I could wear it. Of course I had heard about the disappearance of the jewels from the auto, but somehow I didn't associate this token of Fanning's with it.
"It was not till a week ago that I learned the true state of affairs. I overheard a conversation of Fanning's with my father in which he threatened him with arrest if he, father, didn't give him some money Fanning said he had hoarded up. I knew dad didn't have any and I asked him after Fanning had gone to tell me all about it.
"He isn't such a bad man at bottom and when I pleaded with him he told me the whole story. On the day of the jewel robbery, for it was a robbery, Morgan and Giles----"
"Yes. Well, they were taking a stroll in the fields and happened along just as the car was wrecked. They knew from servants' gossip that you had been to town to get the gems and when they saw you lying unconscious and the wallet near at hand, the temptation was too much for them and they stole it.
"They determined to hide it in some woods near my father's place; but as they entered them Fanning Harding came along on his bicycle. He saw them enter the woods and became suspicious. Leaning his bicycle against a tree he followed them and saw them bury the gems under a tree which they marked.