k into the various rooms convinced him that Allen had left
the building, and then Hal lost no time in doing likewise.

What he had seen disgusted him beyond measure.

"How men can stay up all night and gamble in a place like that I can't
understand," he murmured to himself. "I would rather be in bed and
asleep. And it stands to reason the proprietors have the best of it,
otherwise how could they run such a gorgeous house?"

Hal was soon on the snow-covered pavement.

He looked up and down, but Allen was nowhere in sight.

"It is no use to try to follow him any farther to-night," thought the
youth. "I may as well get home and get some sleep--but, no, I can't do
that. I must find a new boarding house, and go under a different name
for the present. One thing is sure. Mr. Allen can't gamble in that
fashion with what he makes honestly. He and Hardwick are a couple of
deep rogues, and that's all there is to it, and Dick Ferris and that
Macklin are their tools."

It was now too late to hunt up a regular boarding place, and upon second
thought Hal resolved for the present to put up at one of the cheap
hotels.

This he did, and slept soundly until morning.

When he slouched into the office at ten o'clock, still wearing the false
mustache and Jack McCabe's hat, Mr. Sumner did not at first recognize
him.

"What do you want?" he asked, from the book-keeper's desk, where he was
busy instructing the new man in his work.

"I wish to see you in private, sir," was Hal's reply, and he winked.

For a second Mr. Sumner was puzzled. Then he smiled and led the way to
his private office.

"Hal, I hardly knew you!" he burst out, the instant the door was closed.

"I hardly know myself, Mr. Sumner," was the youth's reply.

"The mustache is almost a complete disguise."

"I have news for you. Mr. Allen was not in Philadelphia yesterday."

"No? Where, then?"

"He spent a great part of the time in the evening in a gambling-house
uptown."

"You are certain?"

"Yes, sir. I followed him into the place and watched him play."

"Humph! Did he win?"

"No, sir, he lost heavily."

Horace Sumner gave something like a groan.

"I am being deceived on all sides," he said. "If a man is a gambler he
is often something worse. How about Hardwick?"

"I have reason to believe he went home last night. He gave a note to
Dick Ferris and I followed Ferris. It nearly cost me my life."

And Hal related the particulars. Horace Sumner listened