for
twenty-five cents.

This was more than he intended to pay usually, but on this first day in
the city he did not care to go back to the boarding house.

After lunch he made his way to the entrance of the Brooklyn Bridge, and
got into one of the cars. He enjoyed the prospect visible from the
windows, and felt that this alone would pay him for visiting New York.

Just before they reached the other end there was a cry of alarm from a
stout German woman who sat on the other side of the car.

"I've been robbed!" she exclaimed. "My purse is gone!"

Of course this attracted general attention.

"Was there much in the purse, madam?" asked a kind-looking, elderly man.

"Yes, there was six dollars--it was a great deal to me."

"Are you sure you had it when you entered the car?"

"Yes; I took it out of my pocket when I paid for a ticket."

"I think your pocket must have been picked."

Sitting next to the woman was a man who seemed absorbed in reading a
morning newspaper; even the woman's complaint did not appear to excite
his attention.

This led Andy to move his head to get a nearer view of him. He started
in surprise. It was the adventurer, whom he had already met twice that
morning. He had little doubt that he was the thief.

It was perhaps somewhat rash to hazard a charge without proof, but he
felt indignant and could not resist the impulse.

"I think that man has your purse," he said, pointing to the individual
behind the newspaper.

"This is an outrage!" exclaimed the latter, with assumed anger. "I am a
Boston merchant."

He was respectably dressed, and the charge did not seem very plausible.

"My boy, you should be careful how you make such charges," said his next
neighbor, reprovingly.

But Andy was not abashed.

"I know something of that man," he said, quietly. "I have met him twice
this morning."

"Has he robbed you?"

"No; but he asked me to give him a quarter to take him to his sick
sister in Yonkers. This was at the Grand Central Depot; an hour or two
later I met him on Broadway, and he wanted money to take him to Newark."

"The boy is entirely mistaken," said the adventurer.

At the same instant, under cover of the newspaper, he adroitly let the
stolen purse drop to the floor at his feet.

By this time the cars had reached the Brooklyn end of the bridge.

"Why, there is your purse," exclaimed the adventurer, with a sudden
glance downward. "You must have dropped it."

"Oh, thank you