"I slipped out the money and bonds," went on Sid, "and then Ed turned toward me, and I didn't know what to do with the empty wallet. There was only one chance, and I took it. I dropped it in the tool-box of Cora's car. I was mean to do it, for I thought it might make a mix-up and add to the joke." Jack murmured something inaudible, and Cora shot a warning glance at her brother. "Yes, it was a poor joke," admitted Sid weakly, "but I've learned a lesson. I found out it was going to cost considerable to fix my car, and as I had some other--er--well, expenses to meet, I just used some of Ed's cash. I knew I could pay it back later. "That is, I thought I could, but my folks shut down can my allowance, and when I missed getting that job which Paul Hastings got I was in a bad way. I didn't know where I was to get the cash to repay Ed, and I didn't dare say anything, for fear you'd have me arrested for stealing: "Then I got mixed in with Lem Gildy. He saw me with a lot of cash, and he suspected something. The man is sharp, and one day he saw the numbers of one of the bank notes I had. He looked up the numbers which Ed gave the police, and it corresponded. Then he jumped to the conclusion that I had stolen the ten thousand dollars in cash, and the bonds. Nothing I could say about it being a joke could convince him. He began to bleed me for hush money, and I had to give it to him. Then I thought of a plan for getting him out of the way. I put him up to start Jack's car off, thinking he might be arrested for malicious mischief and put in jail, but I never dreamed you would be hurt, Jack. Honest, I didn't." Jack did not answer. "Well, that plan didn't work," went on Sid, "and Lem kept getting worse. Then I didn't know what Mary Downs might be up to, going away as she did. I believe she thought I really stole the money." "She did," put in Cora. "She told me so; but her going away had nothing to do with it. A relative was taken suddenly ill, and she had to leave. She wrote me something about the robbery--excuse me, I'll not call it a robbery now--but Mary thought it was, and she imagined both Sid and Ida were guilty." "I can't blame her much," murmured Ida unhappily. "I have treated you very meanly, Ida," confessed Sid. "I made you keep my secret, and Lem found out--at least, he thought he did--that you were in with me." "That's why he followed me and demanded money of me," spoke Ida. "I decided then that it must all come out, though I also decided that I would never again have anything to do with you, Sid Wilcox." "Not even after--" began the youth: "No. Your--your ring is--here," and she, pointed to the safe. Sid started. "I wondered why you didn't wear it," he said: "Yes," he went on, "I have been mean to Ida, though I--I did ask her to take the ring--to--to make up for it." It was clear that he did care for the girl, as much as it was possible for a person of his selfish nature to care for any one.