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182 "If Boswell bought the pin of Mendez, then it must be the Mexican who is the man we're after," Tom went on. "He deals in jewelry, though most of it is that filigree silver stuff that I don't fancy. And Boswell wants Mendez to get him another old-fashioned pin like the one he already has. I wonder who for?"

But Tom did not wonder long on this point.

"The insolent puppy!" he exclaimed, clenching his fists. "If he tries to give Ruth a pin I'll"

And then he calmed down, for he realized that, aside from the ethics, or good taste of the matter, Boswell had as much right to present Ruth with a token as had he himself.

"I guess I'd better reason along a new line," he told himself. "I'll have to let the boys know about this, and"

Then, like a flash something else occurred to him.

"No, I can't do that," he said. "Phil isn't supposed to know that Ruth has lost her pin—that is, not yet. It would be too bad if the grand mother [sic] were to turn cranky, because of the loss of the brooch, and give her pearls to someone else—at least until I can buy Ruth some pearls myself—and that's a long way off, I'm afraid," thought Tom, ruefully.

"No, I've got to play this hand alone," he went