Bemis had the documents stolen from Mrs. Davis."
"That's it," nodded Slavin. "You know Slump wrote a sassy letter to old Farrington."
"So you told me."
"Farrington paid no attention to it. Then Van overheard these two precious schemers concocting a new note. It told old Farrington that they had something better than merely knowing where a certain woman was."
"They meant Mrs. Davis."
"Of course. In this last note they said that they had some very valuable papers belonging to Mrs. Davis. They threatened that if Farrington didn't get them out of that jail inside of forty-eight hours, they would send for Ralph Fairbanks and turn the papers over to him."
"This is getting interesting," remarked Ralph.
"And exciting. Oh, something is sure to drop, soon. That old miser will never go any twenty thousand dollars' bonds on those two scape-graces."
"It is not likely," said Ralph. "Do you think Farrington paid any attention to the second note?"
"I think he did."
"Why so?"
"As I left the jail, I saw his coachman come
