."

"That's the man."

"Ah! And where can he be found?"

"Most likely on Blackwell's Island."

"He is in prison?"

"Yes."

"What for?"

"For breaking the glass in a store window and creating a row."

Colonel Dartwell drew a long breath.

"Those footpads told me he was in a hotel in the neighborhood. You are
sure you are right?"

"Yes, sir. To be truthful, I was mixed up in the scrape that took Crazy
Jim to prison."

"Indeed. Would you mind telling me about it? You don't look like a boy
that would do wrong."

"It wasn't my fault. Crazy Jim had a packet belonging to me--a packet
containing some valuable documents. I called for them and found he had
given them up to an enemy of mine."

"And that led to the row."

"Not exactly. He is a bad man, and there was a little girl living with
him, and he--"

As Jerry spoke Colonel Dartwell grasped him by the arm.

"Stop! What did you say about a little girl?" he demanded, eagerly.

"I said there was a little girl living with him. He used to send her out
to beg. He got it into his head that she had set me against him, and he
started to beat her. I told her to run away, and then he attacked me and
got arrested."

"And what became of the little girl? Tell me, quickly!" And Colonel
Dartwell's voice was husky as he spoke.

"I met her afterward and took her to where I was boarding, and she is
still stopping there."

"Describe her to me."

Seeing there was something behind the inquiry, Jerry gave him the best
description he could. The colonel listened with fixed attention.

"It must be her!" he murmured. "My poor, lost Dottie."

"Dottie! That's her name!" cried our hero. "And she is--"

"She is my daughter," was his answer.

"Your daughter!" ejaculated Jerry, in amazement.

"Yes, my daughter. Take me to her at once."

"I will, sir; but this is the strangest thing I ever heard."

"I have no doubt of it."

"Was she stolen from you?"

"Yes. It's a long story. I will tell it to you while we are on the way.
She is well?"

"Yes, sir. But she has been misused, so you mustn't expect to see her
looking real good. She is very thin."

"I have not seen her for four years, not since she was a mite of a
toddler."

The pair started for the ferry without delay, and as they proceeded, the
colonel related his story.

He was a mine-owner and had lived in the West for fifteen years. His wife
had died when Dottie was born, and the child had been turned over to th