When the avenger found his enemy he might force him to give up his ill-gotten gains; I agree with you there; but he wouldn't be liable to rob old Thompson, I'm sure." "Beth is right," said Patsy, stoutly.
"But old Thompson lost his money at the same time, you know; at least his money could never be found afterward.

And I'm sure he was dealt some blow on the head that made him crazy," answered Louise, positively.
They thought that over.
"I believe I can explain it, girls," said Beth, presently.

"The avenger found Captain Wegg, all right--just as Louise has said--and when he found him he demanded a restitution of his money, threatening to send the criminal to jail.

That would be very natural, wouldn't it?
Well, Captain Wegg had spent a good deal of the money, and couldn't pay it all back; so Ethel's grandfather, being his friend, offered to makeup the balance himself rather than see his friend go to prison.

That accounts for the disappearance of all the money." "If that is so," observed Patsy, "I don't see why the man, having got his money back, should murder one and knock the other on the head." It way a puzzle, they all acknowledged, and after discussing the matter from every conceivable standpoint they were no nearer an explanation.
That's the way with mysteries; they're often hard to understand.
"The only thing that occurs to me as being sensible," said Louise, finally, "is that after the money was paid over they got into a quarrel.
Then the avenger lost his temper and committed the murders." "This talk about an avenger is all guess work," asserted Beth, calmly.
"I don't believe the facts point to an avenger at all." "But the old crime--the great trouble--" "Oh, we'll allow all that," returned Beth; "and I don't say that an avenger wouldn't be the nicest person to exact retribution from the wicked captain.