asped two or three times, while a
tremor ran through his whole frame. Then his eyes suddenly opened.

"Father!" almost shrieked poor Joe, who had begun to believe that he was
never again to be blessed by communion with his parent.

"Joe! What has happened? Where am I?" and as he muttered these words Mr.
Clausin managed to sit up, staring around him in a way that at another
time might have seemed almost comical, so great was his surprise.

"You told me to come here, and that you would wait for me," declared his
son; "when we got to the store it was all dark, and the door stood half
open. Then we heard you groan, father. Oh! what was it? Did you have
another of those awful spells?" Joe still kept on rubbing his hand
affectionately down the sleeve of his parent's coat.

"Yes, it must have been that, my boy," the dazed storekeeper answered.
"I seem to remember starting to get up to put a little box in the safe,
for it was about the time you said you would be along. Then it all grew
dark around me. I think I fell, for I seem to remember hearing a crash.
And my head feels very sore. Yes, I have bruised it badly. Perhaps it
was a mighty good thing you boys came along when you did."

"Oh! that was terrible, father," cried Joe; "but at first we thought
some one had been in here to rob you. That door being open worried me. I
never knew you to leave it that way when you stayed here at night."

"What's that you say, my boy?" asked Mr. Clausin, hastily; "the door was
open when you came? But I distinctly remember that it was not only shut,
but latched on the inside! I expected you to knock, and let me know when
you came along."

He still seemed half in a daze, as though the blow he had received in
falling might have affected him. While speaking, however, Mr. Clausin
managed to regain his feet, partly supported by his son's arm.

"Wait until I close my safe, and then I'll go home with you, Joe," he
said; "the doctor told me I ought to take a little rest, and that I was
working too hard. It looks as if he must have been right. But I'm glad
you came along when you did, for----"

He was bending down, and staring into the safe. Paul watched him
uneasily, for that open door worried the boy.

"What is it, father?" exclaimed Joe, as he saw the gentleman begin
hastily to open several compartments in the metal receptacle, and Paul
noticed that his hand shook as though with palsy.

"Look on the floor, boys, please. Tell me if you can