ng
on his hand, but he rose at Charley's bidding, and took the key.

"Why don't it fit?" said he, after looking at it a moment, intently.
"Well, the reason is my trunk key don't fit this door, and I'd like to
know how you came by it."

"Your trunk key! well, where's the other? _Your_ trunk key! _I_ guess
so! Well, here's one that will fit," and he drew out a brass house-door
key, and shufflingly applied it to the lock.

"Devil! wrong again. Pratt, stand up here, and help me."

"We'll never get in at this rate, Charley."

"I'll give you a lodging, if that's what you're after," said a voice
near them, and a hand fell heavily on a shoulder of each.

"Nabbed, by gripes!" cried Quirk, suddenly turning round.

"But just look here, old feller, I'd like to know [hic] what for you
arrest a couple--of gen'l'men for--as is decently [hic] to go home to
bed."

"Breaking into a store is a new way of going to bed. You're my
prisoners; so march along with you."

"Do you take us for thieves," said Arthur, startled into soberness; "we
belong there, and were trying to use our pass-key."

"Let's see your pass-key, then."

"It's lost! I can find it neither in my own nor my companion's pockets."

"Good story, but won't go down, so trot along."

And the watchman, stepping between them, seized an arm of each, and
hurried them off to the guard-house.

"Phew! that's more than I bargained for," said Clinton, stepping out of
the archway, and looking after the retreating figures. "However, that's
Grey that's got 'em, and I can make it straight by morning." So saying,
he pressed his hand hard upon the ponderous key he held, and muttering,
"Ah, a good time's coming," turned his steps toward the First
Municipality.

CHAPTER VI.

Since noonday, Guly had sat in the darkened store alone. He could not go
out in search of his brother, being ignorant of the streets; and
besides, where in that great city could he have looked with any hope of
finding him? When he returned from church, and found Arthur absent, he
was not only surprised, but deeply troubled. Knowing what a stranger he
was in that vast metropolis, the thought crossed his mind that in the
proud and angry mood that was upon him, he might have wandered off, and
lost himself. But an instant's reflection told him that any one would be
able to give the direction of Mr. Delancey's store, and that Arthur, in
such a case, would not be slow to make inquiry.

He could but wait