ocket. It
was very easy to get the money out of the desk. The way I hurried
through my dinner that day wasn't slow I can tell you. I ran every step
of the way that I might reach the school-room before the other boys; and
it took but a moment for me to secure the bill, and I am sure no one saw
me slip it into your hand, and you know when the other boys came we were
busy skating, so of course no one could suspect that we knew any thing
about it."

"Ha, ha," laughed Reuben, "Walter thought I was very kind, and even
thanked me with that high-bred manner of his when I spent so much time
helping him to fix on his skates, and when you directed his attention to
a team passing on the street, he little thought that while you were both
admiring the fine horses, I generously slipped a ten-dollar bill into
his vest pocket, for his future wants. Wasn't it fun though. But we'll
see now who'll be invited to tea at Mr. Oswald's so often, and spend
the evenings, studying with Rose and Willie." "But I can tell you one
thing," replied Thomas, "we've got to be on our guard, Mr. Oswald is
very sharp-sighted, and a word, or even a look, would put him on our
track, and then it makes me tremble to think of it. The afternoon he
talked to us and sent those searching glances round the room I could
hardly draw my breath for terror lest he should detect us in some way.
You know I always feared those searching glances from Mr. Oswald." "I
have no fears" replied Reuben. "We can surely keep our own secret, and,
as no one else knows any thing about it, we are safe enough." Poor
misguided youths, they did not pause to think that their guilt was
already known to Him without whose notice not even a sparrow falls to
the ground, much less did they think how near they were to detection
and exposure. The plot by which they hoped so deeply to injure another
was made instrumental in exposing the baseness of their own characters.
The two boys had a listener to their conversation whom they little
suspected. Mr. Oswald, having some exercises to correct, went to the
school-room very early and shut himself in his private room, which
opened out of the large class-room, that he might be free from
interruption, and by this means lost not a word of the conversation
which took place between the two guilty boys. The color receded from
their faces, and as quickly came again, when Mr. Oswald at nine o'clock
coolly walked out of his room and called the school to order. They a