jumped off the train, and went back over
the line, thinking the bill might have blown out of the window. But--"

"That is just what did happen!" cried Betty.

"What's that?" the man exclaimed, excitedly.

"I say that is exactly what happened!" went on the Little Captain. "At
least, that is how I account for it."

"What sort of a bill did you lose?" asked Mollie, trying not to
get excited.

"It was one of five hundred dollars, and--"

"Did it have a--anything pinned to it?" exclaimed Betty.

"It did--a note. Wait, I can tell you what it said on it." He hesitated a
moment and then repeated word for word the writing on the note pinned to
the bill the girls had picked up. "But I don't see how you know this!" he
added, wonderingly.

"We know--because we found your five hundred dollar bill!" exclaimed
Betty.

CHAPTER XXIV

BY TELEGRAPH

The man stared at the girls as if he could not believe what Betty had
said. A strange look came over his face.

"If this is a joke, please drop it," he began. "I am almost crazy as it
is. I don't know what I am doing. I--"

"It isn't a joke!" declared Betty. "It may sound strange, but it's all
true. We did find your bill, under the railroad bridge in Deepdale. It's
in my father's safe now."

"That's great--it's fine. I'd given it up long ago. I advertised, and put
up a notice in the post-office, and--"

"Yes, my mother wrote me about it," said Betty. "But she did not give
your address, for some naughty boys tore it off the notice."

"And do you really think someone tried to rob you?" asked Mollie.

"I don't know what to think," frankly admitted the young man. "There was
a boy in the same car--"

"He never took it!" exclaimed Grace.

"How do you know?" the young man asked.

"Because we met that boy, and he told us just how you acted when you
discovered your loss. Besides, that boy is thoroughly honest."

"Say, is there anything about my case that you girls don't know?" asked
the young man with a smile. "But before I go any further, perhaps I had
better introduce myself--"

"Oh, we know your name!" exclaimed Betty.

"You do? And you never saw me before?"

"You forget that your name was signed to the notice in the
post-office--Mr. Blackford," and Betty blushed.

"That's so. But I don't know your names, and, if it's not too
impertinent, after the service you have rendered me--"

"We'll tell you--certainly," interrupted Betty, and she introduced
herself an