"Come, my boy," said Detective Hook, at length, laying his hand with womanly tenderness upon Frank's shoulder, "this is no place for you. The coroner has a duty here; meanwhile you had better come with me." The boy arose obediently. Forcing back the crowd, the detective closed the door of the little room behind him, and taking Frank by the arm, he led him to the street without speaking a word. To Jerry Buck, who had followed them through the alley and now stood with his bundle of newspapers under his arm staring at them wonderingly, he paid no attention at all. At this moment the policeman who, at the detective's orders, had taken the stolen dollars to the Oak Street station, came hurrying up. Releasing his hold on Frank's arm, Caleb Hook drew the man aside and whispered a few hurried words in his ear. The policeman turned abruptly and hurried back in the direction from which he had come. "That man will see that all proper steps are taken for the care of the remains of your unfortunate mother," said the detective, quietly, "which leaves me free to attend to you." "Now, my boy, I want to talk with you. I know you to be the same person who has twice given me the slip to-night, and by right ought to handcuff you and take you to the station at once. But, although it may surprise you, I don't propose to do anything of the sort, for I think it unnecessary to resort to such means." "I'll go with you now, sir," replied Frank, in a broken voice. "I was just going to give myself up. I shall not try to escape again." "Good!" replied the man, putting his arm through that of the boy and moving up Catherine street as he spoke. "I flatter myself I can read men's faces as well as the next, and that is why I have determined to place confidence in you. I may deem it my duty to arrest you yet. Very likely I shall; but before I do so I am going to have a quiet talk with you, when I'm certain you'll see the advantage of telling me the whole truth about this bank affair, and in order that we may be undisturbed I propose to take you to my own room, which, fortunately, is not far off." Now the room occupied by Caleb Hook--for he was a bachelor, and had no one to care for but himself--was situated in a respectable lodging-house in Madison street, between Montgomery and Clinton. Ten minutes later the detective himself entered the apartment, followed by the youthful assistant cashier of the Webster National Bank. It was a large room on the second floor of the house. The furniture was modern and abundant, giving to the interior a thoroughly comfortable air. Locking the door behind him and lighting a handsome drop-light, Detective Hook touched a match to a fire already laid in the open grate, which in a moment broke into a cheerful blaze.