n silence.

"Well, and what the devil are we to do?" said Alexander. "I suppose if
the authorities got wind of you, you would be taken up?"

"It depends on whether they've found the body or not," returned John.
"And then there's that cabman, to be sure!"

"O, bother the body!" said Alexander. "I mean about the other thing.
That's serious."

"Is that what my father spoke about?" asked John. "I don't even know
what it is."

"About your robbing your bank in California, of course," replied
Alexander.

It was plain, from Flora's face, that this was the first she had heard
of it; it was plainer still, from John's, that he was innocent.

"I!" he exclaimed. "I rob my bank! My God! Flora, this is too much; even
you must allow that."

"Meaning you didn't?" asked Alexander.

"I never robbed a soul in all my days," cried John: "except my father,
if you call that robbery; and I brought him back the money in this room,
and he wouldn't even take it!"

"Look here, John," said his brother; "let us have no misunderstanding
upon this. MacEwen saw my father; he told him a bank you had worked for
in San Francisco was wiring over the habitable globe to have you
collared--that it was supposed you had nailed thousands; and it was dead
certain you had nailed three hundred. So MacEwen said, and I wish you
would be careful how you answer. I may tell you also, that your father
paid the three hundred on the spot."

"Three hundred?" repeated John. "Three hundred pounds, you mean? That's
fifteen hundred dollars. Why, then, it's Kirkman!" he broke out. "Thank
Heaven! I can explain all that. I gave them to Kirkman to pay for me
the night before I left--fifteen hundred dollars, and a letter to the
manager. What do they suppose I would steal fifteen hundred dollars for?
I'm rich; I struck it rich in stocks. It's the silliest stuff I ever
heard of. All that's needful is to cable to the manager: Kirkman has the
fifteen hundred--find Kirkman. He was a fellow-clerk of mine, and a hard
case; but to do him justice I didn't think he was as hard as this."

"And what do you say to that, Alick?" asked Flora.

"I say the cablegram shall go to-night!" cried Alexander, with energy.
"Answer prepaid, too. If this can be cleared away--and upon my word I do
believe it can--we shall all be able to hold up our heads again. Here,
you John, you stick down the address of your bank manager. You, Flora,
you can pack John into my bed, for which I have no further