Harry Gilbert's
possession.

"Harry Gilbert is honorably discharged, and the bonds are restored to
him," said the justice.

"Thank you, sir," said Harry, glancing not without natural exultation,
at Colonel Ross and Philip.

Philip, by the way, looked as uncomfortable as his father.

Here there was an unexpected and startling interruption.

"I can tell Colonel Ross all about it!" said a distinct voice from near
the door.

"Come forward then and give your information," said the justice.

This call was answered by Tom Calder, who elbowed his way to the front,
dressed in his farm attire, and in his shirt sleeves.

Philip's face might have been observed to grow pale when he heard Tom's
voice, and he looked decidedly sick when the boy walked up to give his
testimony. Unobserved by any one, for all eyes were fixed upon Tom, he
edged to the door, and slipped out, in an agony of apprehension, for he
foresaw what was coming.

"Proceed," said the justice.

"That night when the Colonel missed the bonds," began Tom, "I was coming
home some time after nine, when I happened to look into the window, and
there I saw Phil Ross with his father's little trunk open before him. I
saw him take out a couple of bonds, and slip them into his inside
pocket. Then he carefully locked the trunk again, laid the keys on the
desk, and left the room. That's all I saw."

"It's a falsehood!" ejaculated Colonel Ross, furiously.

"You just ask Phil about it, Colonel," said Tom, composedly.

Colonel Ross looked around for Philip, but no Philip was to be seen.

"I seed him slip out of the door just as Tom was beginnin' to talk,"
said a small urchin.

Overcome with mortification, and compelled to suspect that Tom's story
was true, Colonel Ross hurried home, where he found Philip.

Sternly calling him to account, the Colonel extorted a confession, not
only that he had taken the bonds, but what had become of them. The
result was that information was sent to the police of New York, and
James Congreve was arrested.

I may as well finish this part of the story by saying that Congreve was
compelled to give up what remained of his ill-gotten gains, but Colonel
Ross failed to prosecute him, because he could not do so without
involving his own son also. It was only two months, however, before
Congreve was detected in a more serious affair, for which he was forced
to stand trial, and is even now serving a term of imprisonment, received
as a penalt