still in the bank, for when the cashier
was not in evidence some of them were bound to drift together and
converse in whispers about the strange and terrible thing that had
happened.

Each one seemed to feel the weight resting upon his shoulders, for until
the truth came out there must always be an uncertainty as to the entire
innocence of the employees of the bank.

Mr. Winslow had to tell his part in the investigation several times, and
the letter was passed around until every one had read it; but Mr.
Winslow insisted that it should not leave his sight until the banker
himself had had a chance to see it.

Finally, when released for the day from his duties Dick went straight
home.

He held his head erect and walked as firmly as though honors had been
showered upon him, instead of his being under suspicion of having stolen
valuable securities held in trust by the bank.

Mr. Graylock had claimed that he intended to borrow enough on these
papers to tide him through his present difficulties; personally,
however, the cashier knew that he was in so deep that even this large
amount would only have stayed the inevitable for a short time.

Dick, of course, did not know this fact, and having heard the owner of
the big store declare that he would be ruined by his loss, he could not
help but feel a certain amount of pity for him.

His mind was in a whirl as he walked home, and in the maze he seemed to
be trying to grasp _something_ that continually eluded him, something
that if he could only capture it might give him a clue as to the
solution of the mystery.

Like Mr. Goodwyn, the sudden shock had disconcerted him, and he seemed
to be in somewhat of a fog as to the happenings of that day; resolutely
he set himself to the task of straightening things out, and going over
every little incident that had occurred while he was eating his lunch
and the two men were talking in the adjoining room.

He had not dared mention this fact as yet to Mr. Goodwyn, for, on its
face, he feared that it would only serve to make his case more serious;
since the fact would become evident that he knew the value of the papers
in the packet.

He had just reached the point where he took that one peep through the
little knothole, and saw Mr. Graylock buttoning up his coat, with that
inscrutable look on his thin face, when he arrived home, and found his
mother awaiting him.

To his surprise she was smiling as though unusually happy, and this was