when the grocer who
caused me to be arrested has the money in his possession this moment?"
the young girl exclaimed, in amazement.

Royal Bryant smiled as he drew forth the half-eagle which he had
received from Mr. Knowles, and laid it in her palm.

"That is the five-dollar gold-piece that I gave you on Saturday
evening," he remarked, in a quiet tone.

"Have you seen the grocer? Did you get it from him?" Edith gasped.

"No; an old client of mine brought it to me, about half an hour ago,
in part payment of a debt which he owes me."

"I do not understand--it cannot be the same," said Edith, with a look
of perplexity.

"But it is," was the smiling reply. "Look at it closely, and you will
find some fresh scratches upon one side of it--do you see?"

"Yes," the young girl admitted.

"Very well; I made them with my penknife during a fit of
absent-mindedness, while you were putting on your hat and shawl on
Saturday evening," Royal Bryant explained. "It was all the money I
had, excepting some large bills, and I was obliged to give it to you,
even though I knew it was not a convenient form--one is so liable to
lose such a small piece. I am sure I do not know what possessed me to
deface it in the way I did," he continued, after a slight pause; "but
there the marks are, fortunately, and I could swear to the coin among
a hundred others of the same denomination."

"Yes, I remember, now," Edith remarked, reflectively; "I noticed the
gold-piece in your hands and that you were using your knife upon it;
but how could it have come into the possession of your client? Surely
the grocer would not have parted with it voluntarily, for it was all
the proof he had against me."

"No; my client, Mr. Knowles, obtained it from a pawnbroker at No. ----
Third avenue," Mr. Bryant replied.

Instantly the red blood mounted to the girl's fair brow, and, like a
flash, Royal Bryant comprehended how all her trouble had come about.

"Yes," she sighed, after a moment, as if in reply to some question
from him, "the week before I went into your office I was obliged to
borrow some money upon a beautiful watch of mamma's. It was a very
valuable one, but the man would only advance me three dollars upon it.
Of course I felt that I must redeem it with the very first money I
earned, and I went immediately to the pawnbroker's to get it on
leaving your office. He seemed averse to the early redemption of the
watch, and threw my money impatiently into the