g by his writing-desk, busy with a letter, and did not
turn, his head when Charles asked if he remembered whether Harold
Hastings had been to his room the morning after the party.

'No, I have not seen him for more than a week,' was the reply.

'But he must have been here that morning,' Charles continued. 'Try and
think.'

'I tell you no one was here. I am not quite demented yet. Now go. Don't
you see you are interrupting me?' was Arthur's rather savage response,
and without having gained any satisfactory information Charles returned
to the group anxiously awaiting him:

'_Well_?' was Mrs. Tracy's sharp interrogatory, to which Charles
responded:

'He does not remember what happened that morning; but that is not
strange. He was very tired and unusually excited after the party, and
when he is that way he does not remember anything. Harold might have
been there a dozen times and he would forget it.'

'Bring the boy, then. He will know what he was doing here,' was Mrs.
Tracy's next peremptory remark, and her husband said to her,
reproachfully:

'Surely you do not intend to charge him with the theft?'

'I charge no one with the theft until it is proven on him; but I must
see the boy and know what he was doing here. I never liked this free
running in and out of those people in the lane. I always knew something
would come of it,' Mrs. Tracy said, and Charles was despatched for
Harold.

He found him mowing the lawn for a gentleman whose premises joined Tracy
Park, and without any explanation told him that he was wanted
immediately at the park house.

'But it is noon,' Harold said, glancing up at the sun. 'And there is
Jerry coming to call me to dinner.'

'No; better come at once. Jerry can go with you, if she likes,' Charles
said, feeling intuitively that in the little girl Harold would find a
champion.

Harold left his lawn mower, and explaining to Jerry, who had come up to
him, that he had been summoned to the park house, whither she could
accompany him if she chose, he started with her and Charles, whom he
questioned as to what was wanted with him.

'Were you in the park house the morning after the party? That would be
Wednesday,' Charles asked.

'Yes, I went to see Mr. Arthur Tracy, but could get no answer to my
knock,' Harold promptly replied, while his face flushed scarlet, and he
seemed annoyed at something. He could not explain to Charles his motive
in going to see Arthur, as, now that the first burst