the sergeant. "He could not take it
from your hand?"

"It was in my pocket. I found him with his hand in my pocket," answered
Morris, glibly.

"By gracious!" ejaculated Joshua, his eyes distended with amazement, "I
never heard a fellow lie so slick before, in all my life."

"Silence!" said the sergeant. "Mr. Hale, will you appear to-morrow
morning at Jefferson Market, and testify against this man?"

"Yes, sir."

"Officer, have you ever arrested this man before?" went on the
sergeant.

"I'm not quite sure, sir. You see he's in disguise now. I think he's
_wan_ of the gang."

Things began to look bad for poor Joshua, who was in a fair way to be
railroaded to the penitentiary, as no doubt more than one innocent man
has been before now, through an unfortunate complication.

"I wish I had some friend to speak up for me," he said, almost sobbing.
"This is awful!"

"So you have!" said an unexpected voice.

Joshua turned, and to his inexpressible relief saw Fred standing on the
threshold.

"It's the train boy!" he exclaimed joyfully.

Fred had set out to call upon Joshua that evening, and had chanced to
see him going into the station house with the confidence man. He had
followed to find out what it meant.

There was one who was not so well pleased to see him. Ferdinand Morris
turned pale, and tried to make his escape.

"Excuse me," he said. "I am faint, and must get out into the air."

But Fred stood in his way.

"Not so fast, Mr. Ferdinand Morris," he said. "What trick are you up to
now?"

"Do you know this man, Fred?" asked the sergeant, who had known the
train boy for three years, for he lived only one block away on the same
street.

"Yes, sir, he stole the wallet of this young man on my train on the
Erie less than a week since."

"But he said the prisoner stole his ring."

"He left the ring in Mr. Bascom's pocket, when he was feeling for the
wallet."

"This is a great mistake," said Morris, hurriedly. "I never saw this
train boy before, and haven't traveled on the Erie road for a year."

"This man is telling a falsehood," said Fred.

"Will you swear that he was on your train and robbed this countryman?"
asked the sergeant.

"Yes, sir."

"Is there any officer who recognizes him?" the sergeant inquired,
looking round the room.

"I do," answered a stout policeman, who just then entered the station
house. "I arrested him six months since, but he managed to slip away."

"The prisoner is dis