ught it would be dangerous."

"Shall you meet him again?"

"Once only, to finish this business. He said you had promised a certain
sum on the boy's return, and this I agreed to carry him."

"How much commission are you to receive?" inquired Mr. Fitch.

"Nothing at all," said Jasper. "He handed me five dollars to pay the
railroad fare of little Harry and myself to St. Louis. What is left over
I shall return to him."

"Then Harry was not concealed in this city?"

"No, sir; but he was at no great distance from it."

"Are you living here?"

"I never was in St. Louis until this afternoon. I have only just come on
from the State of New York."

"To find employment, I suppose?"

"Yes, sir. It was by the merest chance that I fell over your little boy
and his captor. I was contriving plans for getting him away, when
fortunately the kidnapper received a communication from you which led to
my being here."

"Suppose you had got Harry away from this man, how could you have found
me?"

"That would have been the difficulty. I didn't know your name, or where
you lived. But I meant to come here and get one of the daily papers to
publish an account of the recovery, in the hope that the paragraph would
find its way to your notice."

"A very sensible plan," commented Mr. Fitch, approvingly. "When have you
agreed to meet the kidnapper to carry him the money?"

"To-morrow at twelve."

"And then you will proceed to carry out your own plans?"

"Yes, sir. After supper, if you can spare the time, I will tell you my
situation, and the circumstances that led me here, and ask for advice."

"Very well. I will gladly give you the best counsel I can."

After supper Jasper told his story briefly, and confirmed the favorable
impression he had already begun to make. Mr. Fitch cast aside his
lingering remnant of suspicion, and promised his good offices in
procuring him employment.

"After you have seen this man and paid him the money," he said, "come to
my counting-room, and we will talk over your affairs."

The evening was spent socially, little Harry, of course, being the
central object of interest. The little fellow appeared to have taken a
great fancy to Jasper, and was unwilling to have him go the next day. He
was not reconciled till Jasper promised to come back.

CHAPTER XXIII.

WHERE JASPER FOUND DICK.

To find the address given by the kidnapper was not difficult. It was
only necessary to look over a plan of the