; again he seemed about to speak; he did neither.

And the clock struck twelve.

And had a bomb exploded between his poorly shod feet, the effect on
David Prentiss could hardly have been more striking. He started, and his
eyes, dilating, lost their bewilderment and showed plain, overwhelming
horror. His mouth opened with a shout of:

"Was that midnight?"

"Very likely," Anthony said impatiently. "But as to----"

"Where's my cap and coat?" David demanded.

"Never mind your cap and coat. I----"

"But I do mind 'em!" David cried. "I've got to have them--quick! Where
are they? Where's the man who took them?"

Anthony merely smiled with waxing curiosity.

"So you are really rejecting opportunity at the first knock, eh?" he
mused.

And now David stilled his rising excitement only with a huge effort. He
gripped his chair and looked Anthony in the eye.

"Opportunity be--hanged!" he cried shrilly. "Give me my cap and coat! I
want to go home!"

CHAPTER IV

The Reluctant One

One knew Anthony Fry for two or three decades before quite understanding
him. David's great disadvantage, of course, was that he had met Anthony
only an hour or so before. To David, doubtless, the quiet, mysterious,
speculative smile seemed sinister, for he repeated thickly:

"I want my--my cap and my coat and----"

"Well, what are you going to do if you don't get them?" Anthony laughed.

"What did you say?" David asked quickly.

"What if you don't get your coat?"

"Does that mean that you're going to keep me here, whether I want to
stay or not?" the boy asked quickly.

"Not just that, perhaps, but it does mean that I'm going to keep you
here for a little while, David, until you've come to your senses
and----"

"I'll yell!" David stated.

"Eh?"

"If you try to keep me here I'll yell until everybody in the house comes
in to see what's happening!"

Anthony laughed quietly.

"Don't be ridiculous, David," he said. "I've lived here for years, and
they will know perfectly well that I'm not injuring you in any way."

"Oh!" gasped David.

"So just sit down again and consider what I have offered you. Sit still
for just one minute and consider--and then give me your answer."

Finger-tips drumming, benevolent gaze beaming over his glasses, the
unusual Anthony waited. David's scared eyes roved the room, wandered
over Johnson Boller, reading his paper, and finally settled so steadily
on that gentleman that he looked up and, lo