ned his purse to make the cash payment. If the agent's eyes had not
been eagerly watching the purse for the forthcoming bills, but instead
had been fixed on Dr. Lively's face, they would have seen in it first a
look utterly blank, then one of intense alarm.

"Excuse me a moment," he said as he closed his purse. He left the office
and hurried to Mrs. Lively's sitting-room.

"Well, is the deed done?" the lady asked with the complacent air of a
land-holder.

"What did you do with the money?" the doctor asked anxiously. "I thought
you put it in my purse."

"I did," replied Mrs. Lively, her eyes dilating with alarm.

"It isn't here," the doctor asserted. "You must be mistaken."

"I am not mistaken," said the lady, panting with alarm. "I did put it in
your purse. You've dropped it out somewhere."

"That is impossible: I haven't opened my purse since those bills were
brought into the house until just now in my office. You must have put
the bills somewhere else. Look in your purse."

"I tell you I put the money in your purse," replied Mrs. Lively with
asperity, at the same time opening her purse with an impatient movement.
"It isn't here: I knew it wasn't. I tell you again I put it in your
purse, and you've dropped it out somewhere."

"But I haven't opened the purse till a moment since in my office," the
doctor reiterated.

"Then you've dropped the bills in the office."

"No, I have not. I was holding the purse over the table when I opened
it, and I perceived at once that it was empty, even to my small change."

"Well, that shows that the money has been dropped out of the purse some
time when you opened it. If I put the bills somewhere else, what's
become of the change? You've lost it all out together, you see."

"Then it must be in the house somewhere," said the doctor, evidently
staggered, "for I haven't been out since those bills were brought home."

"Yes, you have," urged Mrs. Lively from her vantage-ground. "You were
called up last night to see that child on Morgan street."

"But I didn't lose it there. For when I wanted to make change for a
five-dollar bill, I found that I hadn't my purse; and that reminds me, I
found it in my pocket this morning, though it wasn't there last night."

"I can explain that," said Mrs. Lively after a moment's hesitation. "I
put the purse under my pillow last night, and returned it to your pocket
this morning."

"Then of course you lost the money out," said the doctor prompt