others and finally asked,
his voice trembling with excitement:

"Why should they take an interest in me?"

"Because," Will broke in, "you can help us, and we want to help you. We
have information that you are innocent of the crime of which you were
convicted, and we believe that you have information which will prevent
the conviction of an innocent man."

"Do you refer to the Fremont case?" asked Wagner.

"Exactly," replied Will. "And I'd like to ask you now," the boy went on,
"before anything more is said, why you never communicated with young
Fremont's attorney. He advertised for you extensively, and you might
have held conference with him without subjecting yourself to arrest."

"I saw the advertisement," was the reply, "but I thought it was only a
trap set by the police. I was determined not to go back to the
penitentiary. If I had been captured by the police, I would have killed
myself. I had no money, no influence, and it would have been impossible
for me to establish my innocence, so I decided to let young Fremont look
out for himself. I know now that I was wrong."

"You were in the bank that July night?" asked Will.

"Yes, I was there with my son," was the reply.

The boys looked wonderingly at Chester.

"What took place?" asked Will.

"Fremont was working late in his private room, and the janitor and
nightwatchman were moving about the building, from the deposit vaults in
the basement to the ironclad room which enclosed the big safe.

"I went there to see Mr. Fremont in order to secure financial help. He
had been an old friend of my parents, and I had every reason to believe
that he would assist me if I could get to him. After a long time I
attracted the attention of the night watchman, and he admitted me at a
side door on the request of Mr. Fremont."

"Who else was in the building at that time?" asked Will.

"No one that I know of," was the reply. "I stated my case to Mr. Fremont
in the presence of my son and he handed me one hundred dollars in small
bills, advising me to remain in hiding until I could arrange for a new
trial. He said when he gave me the money that the sum was more than he
had left, but that he would never again feel that he needed money.

"I did not understand what he meant, and said so. He told me then that
he had been plunging heavily in Wall street. He said that he had lost
every dollar he had in the world, and that his interest in the bank
would be taken from him the next d