at Tom with a
humorous smile.

"You don't appear to get along very well without my guardianship, Tom,"
he said.

"No, sir," answered Tom. "The trouble is, some of my other friends can't
let me alone."

"Was it in a fit of emotional insanity that you relieved the lady of her
pocketbook?" asked Mr. Waterbury, bent on keeping up the joke.

"If I ever do such a thing, you may be sure it is because I am insane,"
answered Tom positively.

"I shall," said Mr. Waterbury seriously. "Now, where is this precious
acquaintance of ours who got you into this scrape?"

"He has escaped."

"Escaped!" exclaimed the alderman hastily. "How is that?"

Here the policeman took up the story, and explained that Vincent had
taken advantage of his double charge to effect his escape.

"I suppose, officer," said Mr. Waterbury, "that you were unwilling to
leave Tom in order to pursue him."

"I did leave him, sir, and didn't expect to find him when I got back.
But there he was, waiting for me as quietly as--anything."

"Didn't you feel tempted to escape, too, my boy?"

"Why should I, sir? I had done nothing; I had nothing to fear."

"Innocence is not always a protection, for justice is sometimes far from
clear-sighted. In the present case, however, I think you will not suffer
for your confidence."

Tom was not brought to trial. Mr. Waterbury's statement of what had
passed on the voyage of the _River Belle_ was held to be sufficient to
establish Tom's innocence, and he was allowed to walk out with Mr.
Waterbury.

"Have you anything to do this morning, Tom?" asked his friend.

"No, sir."

"Then come around and dine with me at the Burnet House. Afterward we
will call upon your friends, the Watsons."

Mrs. Watson and Jennie had altered their plans and gone to a
boarding-house, preferring that to a hotel.

"That will be agreeable to me, sir."

The dinner was excellent, and Tom did full justice to it.

"At one time this morning, Tom, it looked as if you would dine at quite
a different place," said Mr. Waterbury, when they were eating the
dessert.

"Yes, sir."

"You won't think much of Cincinnati's hospitality, eh, Tom?"

"Any place would be the same, where Vincent was," returned Tom.

"Very true; he and Graham will bring discredit on any city which they
adopt as a home. How long shall you remain here?"

"I should like to stay long enough to see something of the city, but I
cannot afford it. I must reach California as soon