Ah, here was one of the elevators coming down, with Scott looking eagerly out at him. And Syd was with him. But was it Syd, this fellow with the pallid cheeks and deep circles under the eyes? Yes, it certainly was his brother, for he stepped out ahead of Scott and came over at once to pass his arm about Rex in gesture of protection. Reginald gave an almost unconscious sigh of relief. Within that embrace he felt that he was safe. “Now what is all this about?” said Sydney, in his business-like tone, addressing the officer. “It seems you have arrested my brother here for breaking a Chinaman’s windows. Did you see him throw the stone?” “No, but a gentleman did,” replied the officer. “Where’s that gentleman now?” He was not to be found. He had dropped out of the procession before it reached Chestnut Street. “He was a bystander. He is not here now,” answered the policeman. “I didn’t think the boy did it myself, but he admits that he was running when the alarm was given.” “That amounts to nothing. Do you arrest everybody that runs in the street? Explain why you were running, Rex.” Rex did so, as he had already done. “This fellow who told you that there was a runaway coming for you,” went on Sydney; “had you seen him before?” “Yes; he came up and spoke to me while I was looking in a store window at some bicycles.” “Did you answer him?” “Yes.” “Pleasantly?” Rex hesitated a moment. “Well, I didn’t exactly like his looks, so I said ‘yes’ or ‘no,’ I forget which now, and went on.” “This seems like a clear case of the wrong man, officer,” summed up Sydney. “It was that hoodlum who broke the glass just for the sake of getting my brother into trouble. You ought to see that plainly enough. You do, don’t you?” “Yes, now. I didn’t know all the story before. I beg the young gentleman’s pardon. Come, John, we’ll have to look elsewhere for your tormentor,” and the officer took the Chinaman by the arm and walked out with him. CHAPTER VIII IN SYDNEY’S OFFICE “I’m awfully sorry, Syd,” began Rex, as soon as the three were left alone and had stepped into the elevator. “I never felt so disgraced in my life.” “You did nothing wrong,” replied Syd, pressing his hand against his forehead for an instant as if it pained him. “But what are you doing in town?” “I came to see you,” answered Rex, and then looked at Scott, who had said that as it was so near train time he would wait and go to the station with the Pells. “But you are ill,” he went on the next instant, his eyes coming back to the other’s face. “What is the matter, Syd?” “Oh, I’m all right,” responded the young lawyer. He forced a smile to his lips, and turning to Scott asked when the Bowmans expected to start on their trip. “Monday,” was the reply. “It’s too bad Rex can’t come with us. I was counting on him. We’d have no end of fun.” “Oh, Syd,” suddenly broke in Rex, “did you know that old Mr. Tyler was dead? Or did he die before you came home last night?”