is a card in it."

He turned the pocket-book around and put his fingers first in one
pocket and then another.

"Not a blessed thing but that pile of bills," he went on. "Now, isn't
that strange?"

Then he suddenly drew from his vest pocket a gold watch and looked at
it.

"Quarter to three!" he exclaimed in a startled tone. "And I must catch
the three o'clock train for Baltimore! I haven't time to look up the
owner of this pocket-book, valuable as it is."

"You might take a later train," suggested Matt.

The man shook his head.

"No, I have an engagement in Baltimore immediately upon the arrival of
this train which I would not miss for a dozen such pocket-books."

"Then you'll have to take the money with you."

"I wouldn't feel just right about doing that," returned the man with a
bland smile. "I would feel like a thief. I'll tell you what I will
do," he went on smoothly and earnestly. "Give me twenty dollars, and
you take the pocket-book. Perhaps you won't be able to find an owner,
and then the money will all be yours, and if you do find an owner, he
will certainly offer more of a reward than twenty dollars."

"I take the pocket-book?" said Matt, considerably surprised by the
offer.

"Yes; I really can't wait, and I do not feel satisfied to take that
money with me."

"But, supposing I do not find the owner, do you not want part of the
money?"

"No; you can keep it all."

This certainly seemed a very liberal offer, and had Matt had less
experience of the world at large, he might have accepted on the spot.
But the apparent open-heartedness of the stranger only served to make
him more cautious.

"Let us count the money and see how much there is in the pocket-book,"
he remarked, hardly knowing what else to say.

"No, I haven't time to do that," said the stranger hastily. "As it is,
I have now barely ten minutes in which to get to the depot. If you
want to accept my offer, give me the twenty dollars, and I'll run for
the depot."

And the man moved around as if in the greatest hurry of his life.

"I haven't twenty dollars with me."

"Indeed! I thought you looked like a well-to-do young man----"

"I have twelve dollars----"

"Well--let that do, but be quick!"

And the stranger held out his hand for the amount.

"Never mind," remarked Matt, struck with an idea which he resolved to
carry out if he went into the scheme at all. "I'll take the money from
the pocket-book, and if I find the owner I wi