"Because," answered Herb, "I remember a man of that name a few weeks
ago calling at dad's store to get a bill of goods. The reason I
remember was the way he stuttered when dad was making out the bill.
He tried and tried to say something, and his eyes bulged out and his
cheeks got all puffed and red while he was trying to get it out. Then
he stopped and whistled, and that seemed to help him, for then he went
right on talking, only stopping once in a while to whistle again and
get a fresh start. I had to get out of the store to keep from bursting
out laughing. I remember I felt rather sorry for the fellow at the
time, but if he's the fellow who's trying to do Miss Berwick out of
her money, nothing's too bad for him."

"Suppose you ask your father what he knows about him," suggested Bob
eagerly. "He may know something that may prove of some help to the
girl, either in getting her money back or putting the fellow in jail."

"I'll do it," agreed Herb. "By the way, fellows, I dropped into Dave
Slocum's place yesterday afternoon and found out that he had a whole
stock of material for making wireless telephone sets. Said a salesman
from New York talked him into it, and he was wondering how he was
going to get rid of them. Thought he'd been stocked up with more than
he could sell, all through the salesman's slick tongue. I told him
not to worry, that the boys would be standing in line before long and
would clean him out of stock. He seemed to think I was kidding him,
but he brightened up just the same."

"Dave's got a pleasant surprise coming to him," grinned Joe. "Just
our bunch alone will make quite a hole in his stock."