s not troubled that night by
dreams of his folly nor did he awaken with any remembrance of it.
Instead he and his father chatted as they packed quite as pleasantly as
if no specter stood between them.

"Well, son, have you enjoyed your holiday?" inquired Mr. Tolman, as they
settled themselves in the great plush chairs of the parlor car and
waited for the train to start.

"Yes, I've had a bully time, Dad."

"I'm glad of that," was the kind reply. "It was unlucky that my business
took up so much more of my time than I had expected and that I had to
leave you to amuse yourself instead of going about with you, as I had
planned. It was too bad. However, if you have managed to get some fun
out of your visit that is the main thing. In fact, I am not sure but
that you rather enjoyed going about alone," concluded he mischievously.

Stephen smiled but did not reply. There was no denying that he had found
being his own master a pleasant experience which had furnished him with
a gratifying sense of freedom and belief in his own importance. What a
tale he would have to tell the fellows at home! And how shocked his
mother would be to hear that he had been turned loose in a great city in
this unceremonious fashion! He could hear her now saying to his father:

"I don't see what you were thinking of, Henry, to let Stephen tear about
all alone in a city like New York. I should have worried every instant
if I had known what he was doing. Suppose anything had happened to
him!"

Well, mercifully, nothing had happened,--that is, nothing worse than his
falling into the hands of a detective and being almost arrested for
robbery, reflected the boy with a grin.

Perhaps Mr. Tolman interpreted his thoughts for presently he observed
with a smile:

"It is time you were branching out some for yourself, anyway, son. You
are old enough now to be treated like a man, not like a little boy."

As he spoke he looked toward Stephen with an expression of such pride
and affection that the force of it swept over the lad as it never had
done before. What a bully sort his father was, he suddenly thought; and
how genuinely he believed in him! Why not speak out now and clear up the
wretched deception he had practiced, and start afresh with a clean
conscience? With impulsive resolve he gripped the arms of the chair and
pulled himself together for his confession. But just at the crucial
moment there was a stir in the aisle and a porter followed by two
bel