makes it impossible. It
was while laboring under the delusion that he had money, that he wrote
you of this phantom bequest. Poor Horace! The sight of his writing moves
me deeply, especially as I have to disabuse you of the delusion that I
am holding five thousand dollars in trust for you," and he held out his
hand.

Had it not been for the look of cunning that appeared in his guardian's
eyes as he uttered these words, which cast such a stigma upon the name
of the boy's dead father, Bob might have believed him, but he had been
watching his guardian intently. He saw the look of cunning, and instead
of surrendering the letter, he hastily thrust it back into his pocket.

Forgetting all discretion, as he saw that his plot for obtaining
possession of the letter had failed, Len Dardus rushed upon the boy,
with the evident purpose of obtaining it by force, exclaiming:

"You won't give it to me, eh? Well, I will take it, whether you want me
to or not."

But Bob, in the flush of his youth, was quick and agile, and it was no
task at all for him to dive under the arm stretched forth to seize him,
and then to dash through the door and out onto the street.

CHAPTER V

BOB MISSES A FRIEND

Never stopping to notice in what direction he was going, Bob dashed
along the street, fearful only lest his guardian would pursue him, and
expecting every moment to hear his voice shouting at him to stop. But as
the moments wore by without any sign of excitement or alarm, Bob gained
confidence, finally slackening his pace to a walk, and began to think of
what he should do, now that he had taken matters into his own hands, and
severed the ties of years that had bound him to his guardian.

Back in the store the grocer had stood undecided what to do. The
knowledge that his ward had been informed of the bequest, a fact which
he supposed was known only to himself, had unnerved him. And the failure
of his attempt to get the letter and thus destroy all evidence of the
trust fund, had caused him to be seized with a great fear lest
retribution should be visited upon him.

Instead, therefore, of going in pursuit of Bob, his one idea was to
conceal himself. Going to the front door of the shop, he closed it and
locked it and then betook himself to his private office, the door of
which he also shut, and sitting down in the chair buried his head in his
hands and tried to think what was best for him to do.

But his sense of guilt would not let