"But I can't return them! I didn't take them!"
"I suppose you have them hidden safely away by now, hoping to get them when you get out of penitentiary, eh? It'll be a long time, Robinson—a long time."
In the hallway, the boys listened in growing excitement. The case had taken an abrupt and tragic turn. Both the Hardy boys were sorry for their chum Slim, who looked as though he might collapse under the strain.
"He's innocent," muttered the boy, over and over again. "I know he's innocent. They can't arrest him. My dad never stole a dollar in his life!"
Frank patted him on the shoulder.
"Brace up, old chap," he advised. "It looks pretty bad just now, but your father will be able to clear himself, never fear."
"I—I'll have to tell mother—", stammered Slim. "This will break her heart. And my sisters—"
Frank and Joe led him down through the hallway and along a corridor that led to a wing of the mansion, where the Robinson family had rooms. There, in a neat, but sparsely, furnished apartment, they found Mrs. Robinson, a gentle, kindly-faced woman, somewhat lame, who was sitting anxiously in a chair by the window. Her two daughters, Paula and
