red the room, and the trio adjourned to the other
apartment.

Making sure that the coast was clear this time, Hal unlocked the door
and let himself out. Then he locked the door again, and threw the key
under the table.

"That will tend to stop suspicion," he reasoned. "And I must be sharp in
dealing with these rascals."

He tiptoed his way to the door leading to the hall-way, and was soon
outside.

Hardwick and Ferris had gone long before, and below all looked deserted.
It was still snowing heavily, and Hal made up his mind that the best
thing he could do would be to return to his boarding-house.

He was soon on the elevated train and riding downtown.

Happening to glance toward the other end of the car in which he was
seated, he saw Dick Ferris sitting in the corner, apparently absorbed in
thought.

"I'm glad I spotted him," thought Hal. "I must take care he does not see
me."

East Tenth Street was soon reached. In making for the house Hal crossed
over the street, and ran ahead. By this means he managed to get inside
and up to his room before Dick Ferris put his key in the door.

To tell the truth, Hal did not sleep much that night. His mind seemed to
be in a whirl. What was the plot Hardwick and Dick Ferris had hatched
out against him?

He was up early on the following morning. At the breakfast table he had
a pleasant word with Saunders, who was a clerk in a dry-goods store, and
a pretty good sort of a fellow. Ferris did not appear, but this was not
strange, as he had not been down early since his discharge from Sumner,
Allen & Co.'s establishment.

Hal was the first to appear at the office in Wall Street. He opened up
as usual, and after cleaning and dusting, began copying from the point
at which he had left off on the previous day.

At quarter past nine Hardwick hurried in. The book-keeper's face was
very red, but whether from the cold or from drink it was hard to
determine.

Mr. Allen soon followed Hardwick, and the two entered into a low and
earnest conversation in the rear. Hal did not dare to approach them, but
he strained his ears to their utmost, and caught the words "he must be
watched," and "the detectives will learn nothing," and these set him to
thinking deeply.

Presently Mr. Sumner arrived. The elderly broker's face showed deep
lines of care and anxiety. He had been up to the police headquarters to
see if the detectives could give him any words of encouragement, but he
had been disapp