“That is the question. He said they were given to him, or some such ridiculous nonsense, and his mother actually backed him up in this preposterous statement.” “I was never so astonished in the whole course of my life!” said Philip; and he spoke the honest truth. “You, my son, are entitled to great credit for your vigilance, and you apprising me that the boy was prowling about the house on the evening in question. I shall make you a present of ten dollars.” “Oh, thank you, father,” said Philip, his eyes expressing his delight, as his father drew from his pocketbook two five-dollar bills and placed them in his hand. “At any rate, it has turned out pretty lucky for me,” he thought to himself. “All the same, it is a puzzle where those bonds came from. Congreve wouldn’t go and give them to Harry? No, of course not! Well, the best I can do is to keep mum.” “There is one circumstance that rather puzzles me,” said the Colonel, reflectively. “What is it, father?” “I only miss two hundred-dollar bonds, and I found in the boy’s possession a fifty-dollar bond in addition. That is certainly singular.” “So it is,” said Philip, showing his own surprise. “He must have stolen that from some other party,” continued the Colonel. “As like as not,” chimed in Philip, glibly. “Have you got the bonds with you?” he asked, after a pause. “Did you bring them back?” “No. Rogers, the constable, said I could not take them till I had proved them to be my property. He is a stupid old countryman, and knows nothing about law. He was evidently prejudiced in favor of the Gilberts.” “Well, what did you do with Harry?” “He ought to have been taken to the lockup, but the constable didn’t want to do it, and I agreed that he might stay in the house, under guard of the constable, of course, for I apprehended the boy might make an effort to run away.” “Did he seem much frightened?” asked Philip, curiously. “No; he seemed very indignant at being suspected. Of course, it was all put on. He was actually insolent, and defied me to take the bonds. I suppose he thought he could put me off the scent by his bravado.” “What are you going to do to-morrow?” asked Philip. “I shall have him taken before a magistrate, and shall formally charge him with the theft.” “What did Uncle Obed say?” inquired Philip, suddenly. “It really is of very little consequence what that old man said,” returned Colonel Ross, stiffly. “Of course, he sided with the Gilberts, and he actually had the effrontery to say that the bonds had been in the house for several days.” “He couldn’t have given the bonds to Harry, could he?” “Of course not. The man is a pauper, or about the same as one. Every day I expect he will come to me to ask pecuniary assistance.” “Will you give him any money if he does?” “Yes; enough to get him back to Illinois. He ought never to have left there.”