rkers were so interested in the other man,
but the unexpectedness of his being accosted had driven all thought from
his mind, and he had given his answers as though compelled by the
searching glance the younger of the two men had directed at him.

All three watched him intently, and as he made his answer that he hoped
he was honest, the elder of the New Yorkers exclaimed:

"I think he will do, Harry."

"Well, if you say so, all right," returned the other, and then turning
to Bob, he asked:

"Would your guardian object seriously if you did not deliver your order
for about half an hour?"

"I don't know. Saturday is always a busy day at the store, and Mr.
Dardus always scolds me if I don't get right back. It doesn't make any
difference to him how far I have to go, he always thinks I should be
back within fifteen minutes after I have started. So I'd rather not
delay--because I don't like to be scolded," added the boy, as though by
way of apologizing for his refusal.

"Well, if we gave you a dollar, don't you think you could stand the old
man's scolding, if you were half an hour late?" asked the elder of the
New Yorkers, at the same time putting his hand in his pocket and drawing
forth a large roll of bills, which he opened ostentatiously. The figures
were so large that Bob's eyes seemed as though they would pop out of his
head, so eagerly did they scan them. The man extracted a dollar bill.

The sight of so much money in the possession of one man fairly
hypnotized the boy, and he replied:

"Do you mean you will give me a whole dollar if I will wait here half an
hour?"

"That's what!" exclaimed the man with the roll of bills. "But there is a
little more to it. Our friend, Mr. Anthony Simpkins, and we, have an
important business transaction in hand, involving fifteen hundred
dollars. My friend and I don't happen to have more than five hundred
dollars with us, while Mr. Simpkins has seven hundred and fifty, and so
we want you to hold this money while my friend and I go to our bank and
get the two hundred and fifty dollars more, which is our share in the
deal."

"What, me hold twelve hundred and fifty dollars!" exclaimed Bob, as
though unable to believe his ears. "Why, you don't know anything about
me. I might run off with it."

"You look honest," replied the man who had hailed him, "and that's why
we stopped you. Besides, you wouldn't be able to run away if you wanted
to, because Mr. Simpkins is going to wait her