Deciding that this was the best plan, Tom descended the steps of his home, and hurried back over the route he had taken from the car. How eagerly he scanned the pavement, looking for that white, square envelope! Every scrap of paper he saw made his heart flutter, until he came close to it, and saw that it was not what he sought. “Well, here’s where I took the car,” he said, as he reached the corner where he had alighted. “Either I didn’t drop it along this way, or if I did, some one has picked it up. Now for the second part of my search.” He waited for a car to come along, to take him back to Dr. Spidderkins’ house, and it was a cold, lonesome wait for Tom, who felt quite miserable over what had happened. To his delight he saw on the car the same conductor with whom he had ridden about an hour before. The man was on the return trip. “Did you find an envelope in the car, after I left?” asked Tom eagerly, as he got aboard, and told the circumstances. “Didn’t find anything but an old lunch box, and there was nothing in it,” said the conductor. “Then I must have dropped it before I got on the car,” decided Tom. Arriving at the place where he had first boarded the electric vehicle, he alighted and hurried over the ground toward the house of the eccentric doctor. No sign of a white envelope greeted his anxious eyes. “I’m going to ask if it’s in the house,” the boy said to himself, as he stood in front of the big, dark mansion. “I might have let it slip when I thought I put it in my pocket, and perhaps they picked it up on the floor. Though if Mr. and Mrs. Sandow did, they’re likely to keep it, if what Charley Grove says is true.” Tom rang the bell. It seemed like a quarter of an hour before some one opened a window over his head and called: “Well, what’s the matter? Is it a telegram?” “I’m from Townsend’s book store,” replied Tom. “I came----” “What! More books!” exclaimed a voice Tom recognized as Mrs. Sandow’s. “You can’t leave ’em here to-night. Everybody’s to bed long ago. You’ll have to come back in the morning.” “I haven’t got any books,” said Tom. “I dropped the envelope with the ten-dollar bill the doctor gave me, and I thought maybe it might be in the house. Would you mind looking?” “That’s a likely story!” sneered Mr. Sandow, joining his wife at the window. “You probably stole that money, and now you want us to help you lie about it. Clear out of here!” “I didn’t steal the money!” exclaimed Tom. “I lost it! Will you please look down in the sitting-room, or have Dr. Spidderkins do so?” “The doctor’s asleep, and I’m not going to disturb him,” declared Mrs. Sandow. “I guess not!” added her husband. “Now clear out of here, and don’t disturb us any more. You’re a nuisance, with your books and things! I’ll put a stop to this buying of trash!”