nt of any wrongdoing, and as the young man appeared to have acted
from friendly motives he thanked him again.

"That's all very well," said the young man, "but, considering the scrape
I've saved you from, I think you ought to give me at least twenty-five
dollars."

"But the money isn't mine," said Robert, opening his eyes, for he could
hardly have expected an application for money from a young man so
fashionably dressed.

"Of course it isn't," said the young man, winking again. "It belongs to
the man you took it from. I'm fairly entitled to a part. So just give me
twenty-five and we'll call it square."

"If you mean that I stole the money, you're quite mistaken," said Robert
indignantly. "It belongs to my employer."

"Just what I thought," said the other.

"But I have a right to spend it. I am doing just as he told me to do."

"Come, young fellow, that won't go down! It's too thin!" said the young
man, his countenance changing. "You don't take me in so easily. Just
hand over twenty-five dollars or I'll hand you over to the police!
There's one coming!"

Robert certainly did not care to have the threat executed, but he did
not choose to yield.

"If you do," he said, "I'll tell him that you did it because I would not
give you twenty-five dollars."

This did not strike his new acquaintance as desirable, since it would
be, in effect, charging him with blackmail. Moreover, he could bring
nothing tangible against our young hero. He changed his tone therefore.

"I don't want to harm you," he said, "but I deserve something for
getting you out of a scrape. You might spare me five dollars."

"I got my suit two dollars cheaper through what you said," said Robert.
"I'll give you that sum."

"Well, that will do," said the other, finding the country boy more
unmanageable than he expected. "I ought to have more, but I will call it
square on that."

Robert drew a two-dollar bill from his pocket and handed it to the
stranger.

"That I can give," he said, "because it was part of the price of my
suit."

"All right. Good morning!" said the young man, and, thrusting the bill
into his vest pocket, he walked carelessly away.

Robert looked after him with a puzzled glance.

"I shouldn't think a young man dressed like that could be in want of
money," he reflected. "I am afraid he told a lie on my account, but I
thought at the time he had really seen me, even if I couldn't remember
him."

Soon Robert came to a hat store,