, now that the other boys had returned. Also, not one of the
motor boys had stopped to speak to him as they passed him in the hall.
Poor David!

Well, it was just as well that he had been forgotten for to-night, at
least, for he had work to do. Now was the appointed time for the return
of Miss Betsey's money and Mrs. Preston's silver. The servants were busy
downstairs; the guests were dancing. He would try to accomplish his
purpose.

[Illustration: David was Kneeling Before the Open Box.]

David slipped quietly up the steps and went into his own small room. The
Preston house was divided by a long hall, with four large bedrooms on
either side. David's room was on the same floor, but at the back of the
house. He dragged a big wooden box out from under his bed and silently
went to work to open it. He had already got together the tools that were
necessary for the purpose. The box lid came off and on top of a pile of
silver was Miss Betsey's money bag. It contained all the money that
David had been able to persuade the thief to leave behind him.

David emptied his own pockets of every cent he had earned from Tom
Curtis during the summer, and postponed the dearest ambition of his life
as he did it. Then he crept out into the hall--like a thief, he thought
bitterly. The hall was deserted--not even a servant in sight. It was the
work of a moment for David to slip into Miss Betsey's bedroom and place
her money bag under her pillow.

But to return the silver to the Prestons was a far more difficult
matter. The burglar, on the night of the fire, had swept the old
mahogany sideboard clean. He had taken away dozens of solid silver
knives, forks, spoons and some large, old-fashioned goblets. It was
impossible for David to return the silver to its rightful place in the
dining room. He gathered up a load in his arms and ran to the front
bedroom, where Mr. and Mrs. Preston slept. His cheeks were flaming from
shame and nervousness. He hated, with all the hatred of a passionate,
honest nature, the task he was engaged in, but he knew of no other way
to do what he believed to be right.

David made his first trip with the silver in safety. But there were
still a few pieces remaining in the box. He could hear the music and the
merry laughter downstairs. In a few seconds his task would be
accomplished. He would bear in silence whatever came afterward.

The lad was kneeling on the floor before the open box. He had just
reached down to g