Dick a shaking that
made his teeth rattle.

"I sent for him, Abner. I wanted to find how I could best reward him
for----"

"For interfering with me on another occasion--yes, I know!" finished her
husband, glaring at her. "You'd spend a lot of money on any one who
tried to injure me, but you wouldn't give me a cent to keep me from
starving!"

As Dexter rattled off this charge he worked himself up into a passion.
He shook Dick again, until he espied a closet in the room, in the lock
of which was the key.

"In there for you!" snarled Dexter, still shaking Prescott and dragging
him across the room. Slam! Into the closet went Dick. Click! went the
lock, and Dexter thrust the key into his pocket.

"I'll take command of things here, as I ought to," growled the man. "As
for you, Jennie, here's another closet on the other side of the room.
Come, for I don't want to hurt you."

Frightened badly now, the woman obeyed the impulse of Dexter's hand on
her arm. She sank, cowering, into the other closet. Dexter turned the
key in that lock also.

"Now, are you going to come to your senses?" He called through the
locked door to his wife.

"If you mean am I going to give you any more money, I am not!" came Mrs.
Dexter's reply, in a firmer tone, for she had been stung anew into
defiance.

"Then good night--and good-bye!" he laughed harshly.

Both captives heard the scratching of a match. Dexter held the small
flame against a drapery until it was burning freely.

He had no intention of having his wife burn up in the house, for, dead,
her money would be lost to him forever. He planned only to scare her
into nervous collapse. But Jane, the housekeeper, did not liberate the
captives in the two closets as Dexter had expected. Instead, as the
housekeeper came to the head of the stairs, heard the crackling of
flames and smelled the rising smoke, she fell on the landing in a faint.

"Dick! Dick!" screamed Mrs. Dexter's voice. "The house is afire. Can't
you break down the door and save us both?"

"I'm trying to," shouted back young Prescott above the din of his own
blows. "I'm trying to--but I'm afraid this door is too strong for me!"

CHAPTER XV

WHAT GRAMMAR SCHOOL BOYS CAN DO

Inside of a minute Dick Prescott was both gasping and despairing.

Outside the volume of smoke was increasing. Some of it worked in through
the cracks around the door.

Coughing, choking, trembling in a cold chill of dread, Dick continued