"He did me a great service once, sir, and I was glad of a chance to repay him." "Even at the risk of a young girl's life happiness, perhaps her life itself?" "I did not think it was as serious as all that then, sir. You see, all he asked me was to tell Miss March that a friend bearing important news was waiting just outside the stage door to see her, and that he would not detain her more than a minute. He also told me not to say that it was him if she should ask." "And you did this?" "I took the message to Miss March, and, as she had at least half an hour's time before she had to go on again, she went with me to the door without any hesitation." "And then?" cried Al, breathlessly. "There was no one else around at the moment. Miss March stepped out. I was surprised to see that there was a carriage waiting in the alley. He said something to her that I could not hear, and led her to the door of the carriage. The next moment, to my surprise, he lifted her in his arms and put her into the carriage. She didn't have time to make any resistance at all. I am not sure, but I think there was another person in the carriage." "And you made no attempt to interfere?" cried Mr. Wattles. "What could I do, sir?" "I am pretty sure that if I had been in your place I should have done something," said the old gentleman, warmly. "The carriage drove off like mad as soon as the young lady was put into it, sir." "Didn't Farley enter it, too?" "Oh, yes, he jumped right in after her. The driver seemed to know what to do; anyway, he received no directions from Mr. Farley in my hearing. I suppose it had all been arranged between them beforehand." "Of course. You might have given the alarm at once; why didn't you?" demanded Al. "By that time, sir, the alarm of fire had been given, and there was a terrible commotion in the theater. In the confusion I did not know what to do." "Well," said Mr. Wattles, "better late than never. But what put it into your head to come here at all?" "I don't know that I should have come, sir, but when I heard of the heroic way in which this young gent behaved, and how he saved the lives of maybe half the audience--when I heard all this, and was told that the young lady, Miss March, was his sister, I made up my mind that I would come here and make a clean breast of my part of the affair." "And you have really told us all you know?" "All, sir, so help me Heaven!" "I believe you, my man," said Mr. Wattles. "And so do I," added Al. "But we must not spend any more time in talk; we have got to do something at once." "I will do anything in my power to help you, sir," said the man. "I don't see that you can do much more than you have done," said Al. "You can give me a description of the carriage and the horse, though." "The carriage was an ordinary livery coach. There were two horses, both of them gray. It was a livery turn-out--there can't be any doubt about that--and not a first-class one, either."