"It's no use," he thought. "This is some old building that no one will
visit all winter. I suppose Ferris and that Macklin think----"

He held his breath. What was that sound overhead?

He strained his ears. Yes, it was footsteps!

"Help! help! Come down in the cellar!" he cried.

Again and again his voice rang out, and the footsteps came closer. Then
his heart seemed to stop beating. Supposing it should be Ferris or
Macklin returning?

"What's the trouble?" suddenly cried a voice from the stairs in the
corner.

"Help me out of the vat!" replied Hal. "Quick! I am freezing to death!"

"Wall, I swan!" ejaculated the voice.

Then came more footsteps, and an elderly man, carrying a lantern,
appeared at the edge of the vat.

"Give me your hand," he said, setting down the lantern. "This is a nice
fix ter git into."

He leaned down, and Hal held up his hand. The new-comer grasped the
youth's wrist, and in a moment Hal was upon the cellar floor.

"Oh, thank you!" chattered Hal. "I--I--couldn't have stood it another
minute."

"'Most froze, be you?" returned the man. "Here, strip off that coat of
yourn and put on mine. That's a most all-fired cold bath. How did you
git in?"

"I was pushed in," replied Hal. He tried to pull off his coat, but had
not the strength. "Will you help me?"

"Of course." In a twinkle the man had the coat off, and his own on Hal's
shivering form. "Belong around here?"

"No."

"Then come with me. I live right across the way, and I'll soon warm you
up. It's lucky I came over to see if everything was all right. I'm
looking after the place till spring."

The man took up his lantern once more and led the way up stairs and
across the street. The two entered a neat-looking tenement, and the man
took Hal to a set of rooms on the second floor.

A hot fire was blazing in the kitchen, and drawing up a chair the man
motioned for Hal to sit down.

"Maybe the old woman kin lend you some clothes," said the man. "But I
allow as how you may be better off, if you let the wet ones dry onto
you. It may save you from a spell of sickness."

"I am doing very nicely now," replied Hal. "I am used to some pretty
tough knocks," he added, and he spoke the truth, for life at the Fairham
poor-house had been anything but easy.

At that moment, the door opened, and a girl rushed in. She looked at
Hal, and then gave a cry of surprise.

"Hullo! What brings you here?" she asked.

"What's that?" put in the ma