a fussy old lady, craning her neck
towards the combatants.

"Say," ground out Tapp, vainly endeavoring to free himself, "let me up.
It will pay you. Say, I can tell you something great."

"Can you?" smiled Andy calmly. "Tell it to the police."

"Hold on," proceeded Tapp. "I'm not fooling. I know something. I can put
you on to something big."

"How big?" insinuated Andy, disbelievingly.

"I can, I vow I can! I'm in dead earnest. Say, Wildwood, nobody knows it
but me--you're an heir--"

"Eh? Bosh! I guess your heir is all hot air. Ah, here comes the
policeman--oh, gracious! My aunt!"

Andy Wildwood let go his hold of Jim Tapp. With startled eyes, in sheer
dismay he stared at a woman approaching them, her curiosity aroused by
the crowd.

It was his aunt, Miss Lavinia Talcott.

CHAPTER XX

ANDY'S ESCAPE

Jim Tapp gave a great wriggle as Andy involuntarily let go his hold of
the young rascal. His ferret-like eyes twinkled and followed the glance
of Andy's own.

Tapp was too keen a fellow not to observe that Andy was startled and
unnerved by the unexpected appearance of some one on the scene.

He probably caught the words spoken by Andy: "My aunt," and presumably
identified Miss Lavinia Talcott as the cause of the boy's disquietude.
Further, Jim Tapp knew that Andy had run away from home and had been
sought for by the police. As it turned out later in Andy Wildwood's
career, Jim Tapp knew a great deal more than all this put together. In
fact, he knew some things of which Andy never dreamed.

Andy had been completely driven off his balance at the sight of his
aunt. It was natural that she should be at Tipton. She went there quite
often. Loneliness at home and the variety of the county fair at Tipton
had probably induced her to make the present visit.

Instantly Andy thought of but one thing--to escape recognition. Still,
the minute he let go of Tapp his presence of mind returned, and he was
sorry he had lost his nerve on an impulse. It would have been quite an
easy thing to roll and force his antagonist over the sidewalk edge. Now,
however, Tapp had wriggled past his reach.

Andy made one grab for him, prostrate on the planks now, missed, rolled
along, and dropped squarely over the inner edge of the walk five feet
down into the vacant lot below.

"She didn't see me," he panted--"I'm sure she didn't. Too bad, though! I
had that fellow, Tapp, tight. Why should I lose him, even now?"

Andy ran under