e mouth?" continued Conrad.

"I haven't seen him since."

When they met at the table Mrs. Hamilton's manner toward Ben was
decidedly frigid, as Conrad and his mother saw, much to their
satisfaction. Ben looked sober, but his appetite did not appear to be
affected.

"Your course is about run, young man!" thought Mrs. Hill.

"I should like to see you after supper, Conrad," said Mrs. Hamilton.
"Come into my sitting room."

"I wonder if she is going to give me Ben's place," thought Conrad,
hardly knowing whether he wished it or not.

With a jaunty air and a self-satisfied smile, he followed Mrs.
Hamilton into her "private office," as she sometimes called it.

"Shut the door, Conrad," she said.

He did so.

"I have heard news of the opera glass," she commenced.

"Mother gave me a hint of that," said Conrad.

"It was stolen and pawned at Simpson's on the Bowery."

"It's a great shame!" said Conrad, thinking that a safe comment to
make.

"Yes, it was a shame and a disgrace to the one who took it."

"I didn't think Ben would do such a thing," continued Conrad, growing
bolder.

"Nor I," said Mrs. Hamilton.

"After all you have done for him, too. I never liked the boy, for my
part."

"So I suspected," said Mrs. Hamilton dryly. "However, I will tell you
what I want of you. I am going down to Simpson's to-morrow to redeem
the glass, and want you to go with me."

"You want me to go with you!" ejaculated Conrad, turning pale.

"Yes; I don't care to go to that part of the City by myself, and I
will take you to keep me company."

"But I must go to the office," faltered Conrad.

"I will send Ben to say that you can't go to-morrow."

"Why don't you take Ben to Simpson's, or the detective?" suggested
Conrad, in great alarm, bethinking himself that it would hardly do to
take Ben, since the attendant would certify that he was not the one
who pawned the glass.

"Because I prefer to take you. Have you any objection to go!"

"Oh, no, of course not!" answered Conrad, not daring to make any
further objection.

In the morning Mrs. Hill came to Mrs. Hamilton, and said:

"Poor Conrad has a terrible toothache! He is afraid he won't be able
to go with you to Simpson's. Will you kindly excuse him?"

Mrs. Hamilton expected some such excuse.

"I will take Ben, then," she said.

"Are you going to keep that boy--after what be has done?" asked the
housekeeper.

"It is inconvenient for me to part with him just