we couldn't."

"Of course you couldn't," growled the doctor. "Did you think he would
stay till you came up?"

"No, sir. That is, I didn't know what to think. I felt so bad about
losing the money," said Sam, artfully.

Now this story was on the whole very well got up. It did not do credit
to Sam's principles, but it did do credit to his powers of invention.
It might be true. There are such men as pickpockets to be found riding
in our city horse-cars, as possibly some of my readers may have
occasion to know. As yet Dr. Graham did not doubt the story of his
young assistant. Sam came very near getting off scot-free.

"But for your carelessness this money would not have been lost," said
his employer. "You ought to make up the loss to me."

"I haven't got any money," said Sam.

A sudden thought came to Dr. Graham. "Empty your pockets," he said.

"How lucky I put the bills in my stocking!" thought Sam.

He turned out his pockets, disclosing fifty cents. It was Friday, and
to-morrow his weekly wages would come due.

"That's all I've got," he said.

"Twenty dollars is five weeks salary," said Dr. Graham. "You ought to
work for me five weeks without pay."

"I'd starve to death," said Sam, in alarm. "I wouldn't be able to buy
anything to eat."

"I can keep back part of your salary, then," said his employer. "It is
only proper that you should suffer for your negligence."

At this moment a friend of the doctor's entered the office.

"What is the matter?" he asked.

Dr. Graham explained briefly.

"Perhaps," said the visitor, "I can throw some light upon your loss."

"You! How?"

"I happened to be coming over from Brooklyn an hour since on the same
boat with that young man there," he said, quietly.

Sam turned pale. There was something in the speaker's tone that
frightened him.

CHAPTER XXV.

BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.

Sam would have been glad to leave the office, but he knew that to ask
would be to subject him to increased suspicion. Besides, the stranger
might not be intending to accuse him.

Dr. Graham's attention was excited, and he asked, "Do you know
anything of this matter, Mr. Clement?"

"Yes, doctor. As I said, I was on board the Brooklyn ferry with this
young man and a friend of his, whom I believe he addressed as Jim. I
heard them talk, being in the next seat, about money, and something
was said about concealment. My curiosity was aroused, and I made up my
mind to follow them after they left