"Yes, but Laurens had charge of them and he could have held up a score of boys if he had known how to handle them." "But you knew he did not know and the other boys did." "Yes, but I thought he ought to have known." He saw the rising of an indignant flush in Adelaide's face and added quickly, "besides I intended to go back and see that no harm was done, Miss Adelaide." "Why did you not go?" inquired Adelaide shortly. "Your father claimed my services. First to help store away the surplus stock I had brought with me. That done, we gave chase to some boys that were making up the river with his boat. We headed them off. They got into a panic, lost one oar and broke another, then went down over the falls and were drowned. You heard about it did you not?" "Yes, but not much." "Well, there wasn't much said about it. They were of no account anyway. They were a squad of tough boys that came up from the prolific French settlement, to work their little game and see how much they could get out of 'old Schwarmer,' as they called him. Of course the parents wouldn't say anything on account of the stealing of the boat, and probably they had about fifteen other children and were glad to be rid of them. I shouldn't have remembered it had it not been for one little circumstance." "What was that?" asked Adelaide breathlessly. "They were the boys I sent to Laurens Cornwallis for a division of fireworks." "And they killed him with the terrible things and were trying to make their escape," exclaimed Adelaide in dismay. "That's the mystery, Miss Adelaide. They quarrelled with him, without a doubt. The killing was most likely accidental. They had a hand in the accident, probably, were frightened, ran to the river and took the boat to make good their escape. Only God knows!" "And the parents thought father must have given him the fireworks. How strange!" "Yes, it was strange. Strange that all who knew anything about it should have met a violent death. It looks as though Providence or whatever you choose to call him, was on my side, doesn't it, Miss Adelaide? But I did not know your father was suspected. I regret that." She did not reply. She was trying to analyze her feeling. "Non-plussed I see," said Bombs. "Well I don't wonder. I had something of that feeling at first. Nobody could blame me but myself, because no living person knew about it but myself. Now no one knows it but you and I; and I am used to your blame; I rather enjoy it. In fact I like it so well that I have come to ask you to marry me." "But you would not marry me knowing that I would continue to blame you--knowing that I would work against your business interests, Mr. Bombs."