at ten o'clock took his lamp and
went up to bed. While he was undressing he felt in his pocket for his
money, intending to lock it up in his trunk as usual. His dismay may be
conceived when he could not find it.

Poor Harry sank into a chair with that sudden sinking of the heart which
unlooked-for misfortune brings and tried to think where he could have
left the pocketbook.

That evening he found himself under the necessity of buying a necktie at
the store, and so had taken it from his trunk. Could he have left it on
the counter? No; he distinctly remembered replacing it in his pocket. He
felt the need of consulting with somebody, and with his lamp in his hand
went downstairs again.

"You haven't concluded to sit up all night, have you?" asked Mr.
Leavitt, surprised at his reappearance.

"Are you sick, Harry?" asked Mrs. Leavitt. "You're looking dreadfully
pale."

"I've lost my pocketbook," said Harry..

"How much was there in it?" asked his employer.

"Thirty-three dollars," answered Harry.

"Whew! that's a good deal of money to lose. I shouldn't want to lose so
much myself. When did you have it last?"

Harry told his story, Mr. Leavitt listening attentively

"And you came right home?"

"Yes."

"Alone."

"No; Luke Harrison came with me."

"Are you two thick together?"

"Not at all. He doesn't like me, and I don't fancy him."

"What was he talking about?"

"He wanted me to join a sleighing party."

"What did you say?"

"I said I couldn't afford it. Then he charged me with being a miser, as
he often does."

"Did he come all the way home with you?"

"No; he left me at Deacon Brewster's. He said he must go back to the
store."

"There is something queer about this," said Mr. Leavitt, shrewdly. "Do
you want my advice?"

"Yes; I wish you would advise me, for I don't know what to do."

"Then go to the store at once. Ask, but without attracting any
attention, if Luke came back there after leaving you. Then ask
Mr. Meade, the storekeeper, whether he noticed you put back your
pocketbook."

"But I know I did."

"Then it will be well to say nothing about it, at least publicly. If you
find that Luke's excuse was false, and that he did not go back, go at
once to his boarding place, and ask him whether he saw you drop the
pocketbook. You might have dropped it and he picked it up."

"Suppose he says no?"

"Then we must watch whether he seems flush of money for the next few
days."

This seemed