y into a day of thankfulness. The happiness that was in her rippled
her face into smiles. When the door creaked on its hinges as it swung
open, she laughed. It was a thriftless old door, such as bachelors kept,
she murmured. Her brother's face, gloomy behind the iron screen, tickled
her fancy. "You're like a caged bear, Alan," she cried, with a smile of
impertinence; "I should hate to be shut up a day like this--no wonder
you're cross, brother."

"I'm busy," he answered, curtly. "I'll see you after bank hours, Sis; I
want to see you."

"I've come to pay father's note, busy-man-of-importance," she flung
back, with the swagger of a capitalist.

"It's paid, Allis."

"Paid! I thought--"

"Wait, I'll come out;" and opening a door in the rail, he passed around
to the girl.

"Father's note is paid," he resumed, "but there's fierce trouble over
it. Crane left the money, three thousand dollars, with Mortimer, and he
stole"--the boy's voice lowered to a hoarse whisper--"a thousand of it
to bet at Gravesend."

"That's not true, Alan; God knows it's not true. Mortimer wouldn't
steal."

"Yes, he did," persisted the brother, "and he begged of me to take the
blame. He said it would ruin him, but that Crane wouldn't do anything to
me. He's a vile, sneaking thief, Allis!"

"Hush, Alan; don't say that. It's all some dreadful mistake. The money
will be found somewhere."

"It has been found; Mortimer put it back. Why should he replace the
money if he had not stolen it?"

"Where is Mr. Mortimer, Alan?"

The boy pointed with his thumb to the door of the cashier's office.
"Crane's in there, too. I hope Mortimer owns up. He can't do anything
else; they caught him putting the money back."

Allis remembered that she had seen Mortimer on the race course.

"Mr. Mortimer doesn't bet," she said.

"Yes, he does; he did yesterday, anyway; and when he saw that I knew
about it, he begged me to say nothing--practically admitted that he had
taken the money, and was going to put it back."

"Why should he tell you that, Alan?"

"I don't know, unless he feared it might be found out while he was away;
or, perhaps he was so excited over winning a thousand dollars that he
didn't know what he was saying. At any rate, he took it right enough,
Allis, and you ought to cut him."

"I shan't do that. He's innocent, I know he is--I don't care what they
say. If he replaced the money, it was to shield the man who took it."
She was looking searchi