me time ago."

"Where did they go?" demanded Harvey in an angry voice.

"Down to--the--that is, I don't know."

"Yes, you do know. I want no trifling; I will not stand it."

The fellow, though flustered at first, quickly regained his
self-possession. He had evidently checked himself just in time to keep
back some important knowledge.

"Where have they gone?" repeated the superintendent, bursting with
impatience.

But Jack Hansell was himself again--sullen and insolent as ever. He
had an intense dislike of his employer--a dislike that had deepened
within the past few days. He slowly sat down and smoked a full minute
before making reply to Harvey, who felt like throttling him.

"I told you I didn't know," he finally said, looking into the embers
and speaking as if to the glowing coals.

"But you do know."

"So I do, but I know another thing as well, and that is that there
ain't any reason why I should tell you if I don't choose to."

It took a great effort of the will for Harvey to hold himself from
doing violence to the man who said he was not bound to tell what he
preferred to keep to himself: but the superintendent saw that nothing
could be gained by violence. The man who can keep cool during a
dispute has ten-fold the advantage over one who does not restrain
himself.

After all, Jack Hansell was of small account. It was O'Hara, his
master, and mayhap his companion, whom Harvey Bradley must see. If Tom
chose to tell the truth he could do so, but if he would not, no one
could force him to say the words.

All this was clear to the young man, who, checking his anger, added in
a lower tone:

"You are not bound to answer any question I ask you, even when you have
no reason for your refusal, but you cannot decline to say when they are
likely to be back."

"Yes, I can, for I don't know."

"I wish to see O'Hara on a matter of the first importance."

"But he may not want to see you, and I ain't the man to make things
unpleasant for a friend."

"You certainly expect them back to-night, do you not?"

Jack smoked his pipe a few seconds before giving heed to this simple
question. Then, turning slowly toward Harvey, who was still standing
in the middle of the room, he said:

"You had better sit down, for you won't find Hugh and Tom any sooner by
keeping your feet. What do you want to see 'em for?"

"That I can explain only to them, though it is Hugh whom I particularly
want to meet."

The superi