twas a pretty fair one, I guess."

"And you got it all up yourself," continued Tom, admiringly. "I wish I
could do things the way you do, Bob."

"Well, you see, Tom, you hain't had so much experience as what I have,
but you'll come out all right, and make a big detective, I know you
will."

Bob stopped talking to sell a paper, and after making change and
pocketing his profit, he continued:

"Now, Tom, I tell you what 'tis: you and me and Herbert will eat
breakfast together, when he comes down."

"When will he be down?" asked Tom, his hand dropping instinctively upon
his empty stomach.

Tom Flannery was known among his crowd of street lads as the hungry boy.
He was always ready to eat, and never seemed to get enough food to
satisfy the cravings of his appetite. This invitation, therefore, was
very welcome to him.

"It's 'bout time for him now," replied Bob, in answer to Tom's question.

"I wish he would come," said Tom, looking hungrier than usual.

"He is probably making up sleep," said the young detective.

"How much sleep has he got to make up, Bob?" asked Tom, seriously.

"I don't know exactly, but I guess pretty near a whole night."

"A whole night!" exclaimed Tom, dubiously. "He ain't goin' to make it
all up this morning, is he, Bob?"

Tom's hand rested suggestively upon his stomach again.

"Shucks! Tom Flannery, if you ain't a idiot, I never saw one! To think
Herbert Randolph would sleep all day! Didn't I tell you he would be
right down?"

"So you did, Bob. I forgot that; but you see I wanted to be sure, cause
I haven't had nothin' to eat yet today."

Bob looked at his companion with an air of disdain, and made no reply.

Tom, however, was not over sensitive, so he kept on talking about
Bob's adventure at the fence. In the course of half an hour he got the
whole story from the young detective. Bob not only told him his own
adventures, but gave him all of Herbert's experience, which he had
himself learned from our hero.

It was now about a quarter to nine. Tom looked suggestively at the big
hands on the City Hall clock, but said nothing about young Randolph's
non-appearance.

"I don't see what keeps him," said Bob, knowing full well what Tom was
thinking about.

"Nor I don't either, Bob. I guess he won't be down very early."

"Well, there wasn't nothin' to bring him down early."

"But you expected him, didn't you, Bob?"

"Of course I did, Tom Flannery. Didn't I ask you to eat breakfast