That is why he stood before David and vainly tried to light his pipe. "Why, you are perfectly dry," exclaimed Christine, touching his coat sleeve. "Have you been here all the time?" demanded David indignantly. "What do you call all the time? I was here before you came, if that'll help you any. But," he hastened to say, "I reckon I went away before you dropped in. Now don't ask questions. If you axes no questions I'll tell you no lies." With the next flash of lightning he cast a furtive glance in the direction of the show window to their left. The heavy shutter was still open and banging noisily against the casing. A particularly brilliant flash a few moments later revealed to this sharp-eyed young man a huddled, black thing with a ghastly patch of white that he knew to be a face, in the doorway opposite. "Where have you been for the past ten days, Dick? We've missed you. I've asked your brother time and again--" "Do you no good to ask Ernie, Jack," said the pickpocket grimly. "He ain't his brother's keeper, remember that. I've been taking my vacation, that's all. My work was likely to become too confining, so I took a notion for a change of air." A curious note of nervousness sounded in his voice. They were conscious of the fact that he was peering up and down the drenched, black street with quick, apprehensive eyes. Far below there was a lonely street lamp; another stood quite as far away in the opposite direction. "The rain's lettin' up a bit, Jacky," he said in hurried tones. "You've got an umbrell'. Say, if I was you and Miss Christine I'd dig out for the hotel. It's only a block and a half." "We'll wait a few minutes--" Dick pressed his arm instantly and said: "Better go now, kid; better dig." Christine's sharper wits grasped his meaning. The secret of his sudden appearance was revealed to her in a twinkling. She clutched David's arm once more. "Yes, come, Dav--Jack. I don't mind the rain. Mother will be so anxious." And then David understood. "Why, Dick, you haven't been in--" "Sh! You'll wake the guy that sleeps up there and he'll throw a bucket of water out on us for disturbin' him," said the other with quiet sarcasm. "Besides, this is no place for a young lady." "You're right," cried David in no little trepidation. "Come, Christine!" He had looked uneasily down the street. "We can't stay here. If some one should happen to shout from the windows upstairs, we'd be mixed up in--" "Say, Jack," said Dick, detaining him an instant, "come to Joey's room in half an hour. I've got something important to tell you. Good-night, Miss Christine. Sleep tight." "Do be careful, Dick," she cried anxiously, over her shoulder. He laughed jerkily. "The devil takes care of his deputies. Look to yourself. God don't always take such excellent care of his angels." David and Christine hurried off down the street. They looked back once during a faint glow of lightning. Dick had disappeared.