The Forgotten Door by Alexander Key

ma’am. When we got to the Macklins’, Mr. Bean insisted he’d seen the Macklin boys crossing their pasture, carrying what appeared to be the stolen things. He also insisted that Tip and Lenny were going to hide the things over in Johnson’s woods, so they wouldn’t be found on their own place.” The deputy paused.
    â€œWell?” said Miss Josie.
    â€œIt was a pretty dark night,” said Anderson Bush. “I’ve got good vision, but I didn’t see Tip and Lenny crossing the pasture. However, Mr. Bean insisted that we immediately search the edge of the woods. We started across the pasture, and met Tip and Lenny returning. That struck me as rather odd, and I didn’t get an explanation out of them till later. Anyway, I searched the edge of the woods very carefully, and found nothing.”
    The deputy stopped again, and glanced at Little Jon.
    â€œGo on,” said Miss Josie. “Who found the things?”
    â€œMr. Bean and that boy yonder did. They found them in less than five minutes. The articles were hidden far back under a cedar clump where they couldn’t have been seen even in daylight. It would have been almost impossible to find them at night unless you knew exactly where they were.”
    â€œWere there fingerprints on them, Mr. Bush?”
    â€œYes, ma’am. The fingerprints belonged to Tip and Lenny. When I questioned the Macklins about it afterward, they finally said their boys had found the stolen articles during the afternoon when they were playing in the woods. They’d taken them to the barn. Mr. Macklin says when he learned about it, he made the boys return the things to the cedars, and hide them exactly as they’d found them. He says he was afraid they might be accused of the theft if they reported it.”
    Miss Josie asked, “Did you find any of Jon O’Connor’s fingerprints on the stolen articles?”
    â€œNo, ma’am. But they could easily have been rubbed off by so much handling from other people.”
    â€œDid you find Jon O’Connor’s fingerprints in the Holliday house?”
    â€œNo, ma’am. I did find Tip’s and Lenny’s prints in there — but Mr. Pitts tells me the boys had been in the house a number of times. The doctor had them do odd jobs about the place.”
    â€œI see. Now, what have you learned about Jon O’Connor?”
    Anderson Bush smiled. “There is no such person, Miss Josie. I checked with the Marines. It is true that there was a Captain O’Connor, that he was Mr. Bean’s friend, and that he was killed recently. But he had no children.”
    â€œVery well,” said Miss Josie. “That states things clearly. Thomas, what have you to say?”
    Thomas Bean swallowed. “It’s true that I lied to Mr. Bush. But I had good reasons. Miss Josie, before I try to explain, I wish you’d read those notes I gave you. They’ll prepare you —”
    Little Jon clutched his arm. “Please — not yet. Miss Josie,” he spoke earnestly, “before you read that, will you let me say something first?”
    She nodded. “Yes, Jon. We want to hear your side of it.”
    Little Jon took a long breath. This was not going to be easy. Because of Anderson Bush, he was forced to say and do certain things he abhorred. But, if only for Thomas’ sake, he had to go through with it.
    â€œMiss Josie,” he began, “Mr. Bean has been trying to protect me ever since he found me Saturday evening over a week ago. I cannot remember anything that happened before that day. I had been in some kind of accident, for I was badly bruised. And I was frightened, because I didn’t know what had happened or where I was — except that I was somewhere on a strange mountain. I followed a doe and her fawn down to Mr. Pitts’s field, trying to find someone to help me. Mr. Pitts tried to kill the doe, but I spoiled his aim, and