Maccabe, the detective, who had assumed an innocent air and a rough sort of dress on purpose to throw thieves off their guard, looked around for Tommy. He was nowhere to be seen. Tommy had done the most sensible thing he ever did in his life, which was to run away to the ferry and go home again, consequently the detective couldn't catch him. But the absence of Tommy did not save Thompson, who was sent to the island as a rogue and a vagabond for three months. In the solitude of his cell he had ample opportunity to plan his revenge upon the boy, and we must leave him to brood over his future plans while we return to Jersey City. It was afternoon when Tommy reached the house. His father had left the store early, and was with Mrs. Smithers in the parlor, the latter being hysterical. "What's the matter with you?" he heard his father say. "I ask for the money in the bureau and all you do is to cry." Tommy entered the room, and his mother no sooner saw him than she caught him in her arms, and kissed and hugged him as if she had never expected to see him again. "Oh! my dear, dear boy," she exclaimed, "Heaven be thanked you are restored to me." "I ran away from the man, mother, when the police took him," said Tommy. "Hush!" she cried, placing her fingers on her lip, warningly. Mr. Smithers was interested. He saw that something of an unusual nature had occurred during his absence, and he was determined to find out what it was. "What man?" he inquired. "My father," replied Tommy, innocently. "He wasn't dead, and turned up to-day." "O-oh!" said Smithers, with a prolonged whistle; "that's how the cat jumps, hey? Now I can see where the money went. Soh! the late lamented Thompson has come back, and you're not my wife by law." Mrs. Smithers bestowed a wrathful look on Tommy. She would not for the world that Smithers should have got even the least glimmering of what had taken place that day. But it was too late for regrets. He knew all now. She lay perfectly passive on the lounge, while Mr. Smithers closely questioned Tommy, drawing from him all the facts connected with Thompson's unexpected return from the West, and the circumstances of his visit. CHAPTER VII. TOMMY MAKES A STRANGE VOYAGE. After pacing the room in a state of agitation for some minutes, Mr. Smithers enjoined Tommy not to say a word of what had happened to anybody, and ordered him to go out and play, which the boy was very willing to do. At length he took his wife's hand in his. "My dear," he said, "on consideration, I do not blame you in this affair. When you married me you believed your first husband dead?" "I did, indeed," she said, sobbing. "You were weak and foolish to give him money, and still more silly to let him have control of Tommy, whose simpleness came in well for once, however." "It broke my heart to part with him; but what could I do?" "In future leave this fellow to me, or we shall have trouble. Will you do so?" "I shall be only too glad."