m his desk, and entered
the sitting-room, where his wife and son were seated.

"I don't know how it is, wife," he said, "but I feel sleepy."

"It isn't your bed hour yet. It is only half-past nine."

"That is true, but I shall go to bed earlier than usual to-night."

"All the better for me," thought Philip. "Now, if mother would only go,
too!"

It seemed as if everything was turning out favorably for his plan, for
his mother answered:

"Well, I think I will accompany you--that is, if Philip won't feel
lonely."

Philip's heart beat with eager satisfaction. He had expected that he
would be obliged to go to bed, and wait there till his father and mother
were asleep, then steal downstairs, running the risk of detection, light
a lamp, and commit the theft. Now it looked as if he could do it much
more easily.

He answered, in as indifferent a voice as he could assume:

"I am not at all sleepy. I'll stay up a little longer and read."

Mrs. Ross nodded, in a satisfied way, to her husband.

"I do believe Phil's getting fond of reading," she said.

"I hope he is," returned the father.

"Phil," said his mother, "the servant is out tonight. A cousin of hers
is sick, and I gave her permission to stay with her all night. Are you
willing to close up the house?"

"Oh, yes," answered Phil, briskly. "I'm glad she's away," he thought.
"She won't be spying round and see what I'm about. Besides, I can leave
the door open, so that it will be easier to accuse Harry Gilbert."

"Good-night," said his mother.

"Good-night, mother."

"Don't stay up too late reading."

"No, I won't."

"How many more pages are there, Philip?" asked his father.

"About four hundred," answered Phil, looking over to the end.

"Then I wouldn't advise you to sit up till you've finished the book," he
said, jocosely.

"I guess not. I shan't sit up more than half an hour."

So Colonel and Mrs. Ross went upstairs, and the coast was clear.

When he was left alone, and felt that the hour so long anticipated had
come, Philip's heart beat fast.

"Come; it's easier than I hoped," he said to himself. "And father left
his keys, too, on the desk. I hope he won't think of them, and come
downstairs after them. That might upset my plans, though I've got a lot
of old keys in my pocket, and one of them might answer. However, there's
none so good as the real thing."

Philip had to consider whether he would wait till his father and mother
were asleep, or