"Yes," said Harry, eagerly. "Where did you get it?"

 

"You can guess."

 

"From Luke Harrison?"

 

"Yes; he paid me, last evening, fifteen dollars on account. This note was among those he paid me."

 

"It is mine. I can swear to it."

 

"The rest of the money was yours, no doubt."

 

"What shall I do, Mr. Merrill?"

 

"The money is yours, and I will restore it to you after seeing Luke. I will send for him to be here at seven o'clock this evening."

 

As Luke was at work in his shop that day, the tailor's boy came in with a note.

 

Luke opened it and read as follows:

 

 

"Will you call at my shop at seven this evening about the pants you ordered?

 

"Henry Merrill."

 

 

"Tell your father I'll come," said Luke.

 

At seven o'clock he entered the tailor's shop once more.

 

"Well, Merrill, what do you want to see me about?" he asked. "Have you cut the pants?"

 

"No."

 

"You haven't? I wanted you to go to work on them at once."

 

"I know; but it was necessary to see you first."

 

"Why--didn't you take the measure right?"

 

"Luke," said Mr. Merrill, looking him steadily in the eye, "where did you get that money you paid me?"

 

"Where did I get the money?" repeated Luke, flushing up. "What makes you ask me that question? Isn't it good money? 'Tisn't counterfeit, is it?"

 

"I asked you where you got it from?"

 

"From the man I work for, to be sure," said Luke.

 

"Will you swear to that?"

 

"I don't see the use. Can't you take my word?"

 

"I may as well tell you that Harry Walton recognizes one of the bills as a part of the money he lost."

 

"He does, does he?" said Luke, boldly. "That's all nonsense. Bills all look alike."

 

"This one has a drop of ink just in the center. He remembered having dropped a blot upon it."

 

"What have I to do with that?"

 

"It is hardly necessary to explain. The evening he lost the money you were with him. Two days after, you pay me one of the bills which he lost," said the tailor.

 

"Do you mean to say I stole 'em?" demanded Luke.

 

"It looks like it, unless you can explain how you came by the blotted bill."

 

"I don't believe I paid you the bill. Very likely it was some one else."

 

"I thought you would say that, so I called Colman's attention to it. However, if your employer admits paying you the bills, of course you are all right."

 

Luke remembered very well that he was paid in fives, and that such an appeal would do him no good.

 

"Does Walton know this?" he asked, sinking into a chair, and wiping the perspiration from his brow.

 

"Yes; he suspected you."

 

"I'd like to choke him!" said Luke, fiercely. "The miserly scoundrel!"

 

"It seems to me he is justified in trying to recover his money. What have you done with the rest of it?"

 

"Tell me what will be done to me," said Luke, sullenly.

 

"I didn't steal it. I only picked it up when he dropped it. He deserves to lose it, for being so careless."

 

"Why didn't you tell him you had found it?"

 

"I meant to give it to him after a while. I only wanted to keep it long enough to frighten him."

 

"That was dangerous, particularly as you used it."