Page:Love Insurance - Earl Biggers (1914).djvu/348

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THE SHORTEST WAY HOME
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vor, "iron bars for Jenkins here. I'll swear out the warrant myself—"

"Nonsense," said Harrowby, "Jenkins is the most harmless creature in the world. Led astray by ambition, that's all. With any one but Allan his claims wouldn't have lasted five minutes. Poor Allan always was a helpless youngster."

"Oh—Jenkins," broke in Minot suddenly. "What was the idea this morning? I mean your calling Allan Harrowby an impostor?"

Jenkins hung his head.

"I was rattled," he admitted. "I couldn't keep it up before all those people. So it came to me in a flash—if I said Allan was a fraud maybe I wouldn't have to be cross-examined myself."

"And that was really Allan Harrowby?"

"Yes—that was Allan, right enough."

Mr. Minot sat studying the wall in front of him. He was recalling a walk through the moonlight to the fort. Jephson and Thacker pointed accusing fingers at him over the oceans and lands between.

"I say—let Jenkins go," continued the genial