The lad put his hand into the breast pocket of his cape coat. He whipped
out a handkerchief, and a bulky pocketbook. The latter flew across the
aisle and under the next seat, where it burst open.

The clerical-looking man stooped and picked it up.

"Permit me," he said, handing it back with a low bow.

"Much obliged," answered the owner. "Hello! there's a wad of bills
missing. It must have fallen out."

The clerical-looking man pretended not to hear. He turned toward the
window and went on reading. The conductor and the lad peered under the
neighboring seats. They saw no trace of the money. The other passengers
looked on with interest.

"Lift your feet, sir," said the conductor, sharply, as he tapped the
clerical passenger's arm.

The man obeyed with an air of injured innocence, and the roll of bank
notes was instantly seen.

"Quite an accident," he protested. "I was not aware that my foot was on
the money."

"Of course not," sneered the conductor.

"No insults, sir," replied the other, in a dignified tone. "Here is my
card. I am a missionary from the South Seas. My name is Pendergast."

The conductor waved aside the proffered card.

"I see you are reading Hoyle's Games," he remarked, sarcastically.
"Is that the text-book you use among your heathen?"

The missionary looked discomfited for an instant.

"I have been perusing this evil work with horror," he replied. "Some
worldly sinner left it on the seat. Perhaps it is yours, sir?"

The conductor reddened with anger, and some of the passengers laughed
aloud. The missionary folded his hands with a smile of triumph, and
looked out of the window.

Meanwhile the lad had restored the roll of bills to his pocketbook, and
in one of the compartments of the latter he found the missing ticket. As
the conductor took it he leaned over and said:

"Keep an eye on that rascal yonder. He's no more a missionary than you
or I."

Then he hurried on to the next car.

A few moments later scattered lights appeared through the frosty
windows, and finally the vague outlines of houses and streets.

"Bangor!" shrieked the brakeman.

The announcement created a stir and bustle among the passengers. The
train soon rolled into a lofty station. The lad gathered up his traps,
hurriedly left the car, pressed through the crowd, and gained the
lighted street.

Here he paused for a moment, remembering the conductor's warning. But he
could see nothing of the clerical-looking i