On their way upstairs Dick went into the library and replaced the telephone receiver on its hook. The officers were astonished to find the house so elegantly furnished, and they came to the erroneous conclusion that the family who occupied it was away, and that the crook and his accomplice had learned of the fact and taken possession of it for the purpose of working that particular job. The truth came out later when the police made a thorough investigation of the case. The house was looked over from cellar to the top floor, and nothing was to be seen but the furniture and furnishings, just as the house had been rented. The officers were of the opinion that Patterson had cleaned out everything that was worth carrying off. It was about midnight now, and Dick went with the policemen to the station to which they were attached, and told his story over again, with more detail, to the man at the desk. He furnished a first-rate description of Patterson and of the woman he claimed as his wife, and after Dick was allowed to go home several detectives were put out on the case. Dick got home about one o'clock and found his family all exercised over his failure to come home at a reasonable hour. Only two of his sisters were now living in the flat, as Gertie, the elder, had succeeded in hooking Clarence Peck, and the young couple were living in a small genteel flat of their own. Dick had to explain the cause that had detained him, and his mother and two sisters were horrified over the recital. "What a narrow escape you had, my dear boy!" said his mother tearfully. "That's right, but don't let us talk about it. Is there anything handy that I can eat?" he said. "I'll warm up something," said Nellie, "while May will make you a cup of tea." The girls prepared him a meal and after eating it he turned in with the others. His story was in the morning papers, and the first inkling that Mr. Bacon, his manager and the clerks got of it was through the morning journals. Dick appeared at the store on time, and in advance of the other employees, and as they arrived they gathered around him and bombarded him with questions. He satisfied their curiosity as well as he could, and when the manager turned up he took the boy in his room and asked him to give him the whole story. Then Mr. Bacon appeared and Dick was closeted with him for half an hour.