ion.

"Boy, where did you get this ring?" he asked, in a significant tone.

"Honestly," said Paul. "That's all you need to know."

"I don't believe it," said the old man, harshly. "I believe you stole
it."

"You may believe what you like, but you must give it back to me," said
Paul, coolly.

"I've a great mind to call a policeman," said Eliakim.

"If you did," said Paul, "I'd tell him that you were anxious to get
the ring, though you believed it to be stolen. Perhaps he might have
something to say to you."

Eliakim perceived the force of Paul's argument, for in law the receiver
of stolen goods is as bad as the thief, and there had been occasions
when the pawnbroker had narrowly escaped punishment for thus indirectly
conniving at theft.

"If you say you got it honestly, I'll buy it of you," he said, changing
his tune. "What will you take?"

"I don't care about selling to-day," answered Paul.

"I'll give you twenty-five dollars."

"I can't sell without consulting my mother. It belongs to her."

Reluctantly Eliakim gave back the ring, finding his wiles of no effect.

"Bring your mother round to-morrow," he said. "I'll give you a better
price than you will get anywhere else."

"All right," said Paul. "I'll tell her what you say."

The old pawnbroker followed Paul with wistful glances, vainly wishing
that he had not at first depreciated the ring to such an extent, that
his subsequent advances had evidently excited his customer's suspicion
that it was more valuable than he supposed. He felt that he had lost it
through not understanding the character of the boy with whom he had to
deal.

"Well, Paul, what news of the ring?" asked Mrs. Hoffman, as he
re-entered the room.

"I was offered twenty-five dollars for it," said Paul.

"Did you sell it?"

"No, mother."

"Why not?" asked Jimmy. "Twenty-five dollars is a lot of money."

"I know it," said Paul; "but the ring is worth a great deal more."

"What makes you think so, Paul?"

"Because the offer was made by a pawnbroker, who never pays quarter what
an article is worth. I am sure the ring is worth a hundred dollars."

"Yes, I am sure it is worth all that."

"A hundred dollars!" repeated Jimmy, awestruck at the magnitude of the
sum.

"What shall we do about it, Paul?" asked his mother. "A hundred dollars
will do us more good than the ring."

"I know that, mother. What I propose is, to carry it to Ball & Black's,
or Tiffany's, and sell it for wha