y.

"Who rumpled that paper?" he asked.

"Suppose you ask Mr. Murdock?" said Dick.

"Did he come in here?" asked Gilbert, cooling down, for it was against
Dick that his charge was made, and not against the head clerk. As to the
paper, he really cared nothing.

"Yes," said Dick.

"Then it's all right. I supposed you had been idling your time over the
paper. Go and ask Mr. Murdock what time it is. I left my watch at home."

"It's half past eight," said Dick, drawing out his watch.

Up to this time the book-keeper had not noticed Dick's watch-chain. Now
that his attention was drawn not only to that, but to the beautiful gold
watch which Dick carried, he was not a little surprised.

"Whose watch is that?" he asked, abruptly.

"Mine," said Dick, briefly, rather enjoying the book-keeper's surprise.

"How did you come by it?"

"Honestly," said Dick.

"Is it gold, or only plated?"

"It's gold."

"Humph! Did you buy it, or was it given you?"

"Well," said Dick, "I didn't buy it."

"Did you say it was yours?"

"Yes."

Gilbert looked at Dick in surprise. Our hero was becoming more and more
an enigma to him. That a boy in Dick's position should have a gold watch
given him, especially now that he had learned from his cousin Roswell
the nature of Dick's former employment, seemed indeed wonderful.

"Let me look at your watch a minute," he said.

Dick handed it to him.

"It seems to be a very good one," he said.

"Yes," said Dick; "I aint proud. It's as good as I want to wear."

"It looks entirely out of place on such a boy as you," said the
book-keeper, sharply.

"Perhaps it would look better on you," suggested our hero, innocently.

"Yes, it would be more appropriate for me to wear than you. You're not
old enough to be trusted with a watch; least of all with such a good one
as that."

"Perhaps you'd be kind enough to mention it to the one that gave it to
me."

"Whoever gave it to you didn't show much judgment," said Gilbert, in the
same pleasant way. "Who was it?"

"It was Mrs. Rockwell."

If a bombshell had exploded in the office, it could hardly have taken
Gilbert more by surprise.

"Who did you say?" he repeated, thinking his ears might have deceived
him.

"Mrs. Rockwell," said Dick, once more.

The book-keeper could hardly suppress a low whistle.

"When did she give it to you?"

"Last evening."

"Were you up there?"

"Yes."

"Did Mr. Rockwell invite you?"

"Yes."

Just then