d I hope that if it should turn out to be as we suspect, Mr. Gibbs
will have no mercy on him."

Mr. Winslow was certainly deeply aroused.

"I am so glad I made up my mind to tell you about this, sir. It first
struck me hard while I was talking to my mother last night," and Dick
related the incident.

They continued to talk as they walked along, and for half an hour
conferred as to many plans whereby the truth might be discovered.

CHAPTER XIX

NOT FOR SALE

On the way home that day Dick even mustered up enough courage to whistle
again, something he had not thought of doing ever since this black
shadow had fallen across his path.

The mere fact that a man as astute as Mr. Winslow should agree that his
suspicion was founded on something worth looking into gave him
considerable comfort.

It was a terrible thought, but just as the teller had declared, he could
see that things must have come to a bad pass indeed with the merchant,
and that anticipating a smash in the near future he had possibly
conceived the scheme of making way with those negotiable securities in
order to defraud his creditors; when the storm had blown over he might
go to some city, dispose of the valuable papers by degrees, and in this
way have enough to live on comfortably the balance of his days.

On the way home Dick considered whether it were best to tell his mother;
and as he had always made it a habit to keep nothing of any importance
from her he determined to do so.

She had ever been his best friend and adviser in the many difficulties
that beset a boy, and more than once he had found that her wisdom far
excelled his own in bringing about a settlement of his boyish disputes.

He found her anxiously awaiting his coming, for the strain had been
great, and every minute beyond his customary time for returning was
torture to her fond heart, since, in imagination, she could see him
being possibly arrested for something that any one with half a heart
must know he would never be guilty of doing.

And so Dick told her what had passed during the day, winding up with his
conference with Mr. Winslow.

To this latter Mrs. Morrison listened with bated breath, and a look of
alarm not unmixed with horror in her gentle eyes.

She was unused to anything bordering on crime, and could hardly believe
that a man might bring himself to such a point where he would rob
himself.

"But that isn't the point, mother," said Dick, when the lady spoke o