Returning five minutes later, Peaches thrust his head in at Barry’s door, with strange results. An agitated youth rushed upon him, waving a large sheet of paper. Peaches retreated. Barry pursued. Barry was somewhat inarticulate, but Peaches finally gathered that he was being entreated to look at the paper. He did so obligingly. Then he looked at Barry. “Well, what is it?” he demanded. “Where’d you get it? Who gave――” “I didn’t!” gasped Barry. “Nobody did! I found it! In the desk!” “You found it!” Peaches laughed mirthlessly. “Go on,” he said. “Have your little joke.” “But I tell you――” “Yes, I know,” said Peaches, soothingly. “Let’s find a couple in the bureau, eh? Quit your kidding, Barry. What’s the big idea?” “Gee! I’m telling you!” shouted Barry, exasperated. “Look at it! Is it any good?” “Any good?” Peaches acted somewhat dazed himself now. “Of course it’s any good. At least――why, sure it is! What do you think? ‘Northern Counties Light and Power,’ eh? One thousand dollars. Six per cent. Maturing nineteen-forty-three. Why wouldn’t it be good?” “I didn’t say it wasn’t! I only wanted to be sure!” “Well, you’d better take it to the bank, then. It looks all right to me, but there may be a catch to it. Where’d you get it?” “Great Scott! I’ve told you twenty times!” Barry dragged him to the desk and pointed to the open drawer. “In there! It was lying there, right on top. Folded. I went to look for a patch-scrad――” “A _what_?” Peaches viewed his friend in dawning suspicion. Last night Barry had complained of not feeling well. Could it be possible that―― “Say, you got much fever?” he asked, trying to put a hand on Barry’s forehead. “Shut up, can’t you? I said I was looking for a scratch-pad, and it was the wrong door――drawer, I mean――and there was this thing staring at me! How’d it get there, Peaches?” “Gosh! you don’t suspect me, do you? Listen, Barry, I’m not feeling strong to-day. Put that blamed thing down a minute and tell it to me in words of one sillabub.” Barry did so. Peaches whistled. They stared at each other. Then, with lowered voice: “Do you suppose that’s the bond that Davy――that was lost that time?” asked Peaches. “Of course it is! Don’t you see? He wanted to get rid of it and came up here some time when I was out and put it in that drawer!” “Gosh!” muttered Peaches. Then, after an instant: “But hold on! What would be the idea? Why put it in there? If he had it that long, why should he want to get rid of it?” “How do I know? But here it is, isn’t it?” “Yes, if it is! I mean if that’s the same bond. After all, Barry, that’s just a theory.” “Well――hang it!――who else would do it? And――and why pick on me? Gee! every one’s trying to put something over on me lately! First there was that letter, and now there’s this! Why, I might be arrested for stealing it!” “Not likely, since you weren’t around at the time. Hold yourself and let’s look at this thing calmly. When did you look in that drawer last?” he asked.