"we are afraid that you have no right to this money. The _Herald_ of
this morning gives an account of a boy who has run away from a town in
New Hampshire with three hundred dollars belonging to a farmer. You
appear to be the age mentioned."

"I never stole a dollar in my life," said Robert indignantly.

"It may be so, but I feel it a duty to put you in charge of the police,
who will investigate the matter. James, call an officer."

Robert realized that he was in an unpleasant situation. It would be hard
to prove that the money in his hands was really at his disposal.

Help came from an unexpected quarter.

A young man, fashionably dressed, had listened to the conversation of
which Robert was the subject.

He came forward promptly, saying:

"There is no occasion to suspect this boy. He is all right."

"Do you know him?" asked the proprietor politely.

"Yes, I know him well. He is in the employ of a gentleman at Cook's
Harbor, as he says. You can safely sell him the clothes."

The young man spoke so positively that all suspicion was removed.

"I am glad to learn that it is all right," said the clothing merchant.
"My young friend, I am sorry to have suspected you. We shall be glad to
sell you the suit, and to recompense you for the brief inconvenience we
will take off two dollars from the price."

"Thank you, sir."

"It would not do for us to receive stolen money, hence our caution."

Robert did not bear malice, and he accepted the apology and dressed
himself in the suit referred to, which very much changed his appearance
for the better.

In fact, but for his hat and shoes, he looked like a city boy of a
well-to-do family.

He felt fortunate in getting off so well, but he was puzzled to
understand where he could have met the young man who professed to know
him so well.

He left the store, but almost immediately was tapped on the shoulder by
the young man in question.

"I got you off well, didn't I?" said the young man with a wink.

"I am much obliged to you, sir," said Robert.

"You don't seem to remember me," continued the young man, winking
again.

"No, sir."

"Good reason why. I never saw you in my life before nor you me."

"But I thought you said you had met me at Cook's Harbor?" said Robert in
surprise.

The young man laughed.

"Only way to get you off. You'd have been marched off by a policeman if
I hadn't."

This seemed rather irregular to our hero. Still he knew that he was
innoce