ever, promising to call
upon Paul the next day at his stand and let him know whether there was
any change in Jack Morgan's plans.

"I pity the poor boy," said Mrs. Hoffman, after he went out. "What a
dreadful thing it is to live with such a desperate man!"

"I will see what I can do to help him next week," said Paul. "We shall
owe him something for letting us know of the robbery."

"I shudder to think what might have happened if we had been taken by
surprise. We might have been murdered in our beds."

Jimmy looked so frightened at this suggestion that Paul laughed.

"It is no laughing matter, mother," he said; "but Jimmy looked so
thoroughly scared that I couldn't help being amused. Don't be alarmed,
Jimmy. We'll take good care of you."

Meanwhile Julius was returning to the miserable room which he called
home. He was thinking how he could communicate the information agreed
upon without arousing the suspicions of the two confederates. Finally
he decided upon a story which seemed to him satisfactory.

It was nine o'clock when he entered the room where Jack Morgan and
Marlowe, having got tired of playing cards, were leaning back against
the wall in their chairs, smoking clay pipes. The room was full of the
odor of a villainous quality of cheap tobacco when Julius reappeared.

"Well, Julius," said Jack, removing his pipe from his mouth and
regarding him eagerly, "what luck?"

"Good," said Julius briefly

"What have you found out?"

"I found out that the swag is in a safe upstairs on the second floor."

"Good!" exclaimed Jack, admiringly. "Didn't I tell you he was a sharp
one, Marlowe?"

"How did you find that out?" asked Marlowe keenly. "You didn't ask,
did you?"

"I ain't a fool," answered Julius.

"You haven't answered my question."

"They give me some supper," said Julius, who had got his story ready,
"and while I was eatin' I heard Mrs. Hoffman tell Paul that she had
got some men to move the safe from the front room on the second floor
into the bathroom. She didn't say what was in it, but it's likely the
money's there."

"The boy's right, Marlowe," said Jack.

"Did they give you anything else besides supper?" asked Marlowe.

"Yes; they give me this coat," answered Julius, indicating the coat he
had on. "Ain't it a bully fit?"

"Maybe they'd like to adopt you," said Jack jocosely. "If me and
Marlowe go to Californy, you can go there."

Meanwhile Marlowe's attention had been drawn to the coat.