then," I continued.

"Aren't you going to pay me my tin dollars?" said he, looking uglier
than usual.

"I am not--not I."

"Begorra, thin, I will inform the police," replied he, savagely. "You
struck the gintleman on the head with the wrinch, and I'll have you in
the Tombs."

"What's the trouble!" asked Mr. Loraine, who had been impatiently
waiting for me in another part of the room, as he stepped up to the
hackman, his attention attracted by the fellow's anger.

"That is the man that drove us out to Harlem last night," I answered.

"What's your number?" demanded Mr. Loraine of the surly brute.

The hackman looked at him. The New York merchant was no tyro, and Jehu,
preferring not to deal with one who understood the characteristics of
his class, suddenly bolted through the open door, and ran for his hack.
Mr. Loraine pursued him; but the rascal had left his carriage on the
Bowling Green side of the street, and he distanced both of us. Leaping
upon his box, he drove off as fast as his horses could go.

"Didn't you notice the number of his hack?" asked Mr. Loraine, as we
returned to the hotel.

"I did not, sir."

"What did he want of you?"

"He wished me to pay him ten dollars for driving Kate and me out to
Harlem last night," I replied, laughing.

"It did not take you long to give him an answer to such a demand."

"I wanted to know why Tom Thornton had not paid him. It seems that the
scoundrel, when he found his employer was hurt, was afraid of getting
into trouble, and left him. I put my hand into my pocket, as though I
intended to pay him, so as to induce him to tell me what I wanted to
know."

"You'll do!" added Mr. Loraine, smiling. "But what did become of
Thornton?"

"When the hackman sent a friend of his to inquire about him, Tom
Thornton had come to his senses and left."

"I'm afraid you'll hear from him again. If you do, let me know. Now,
where is Kate?"

I conducted him up stairs to Mrs. Macombe's parlor. Mr. Loraine proved
to be all I had wished him to be--sympathizing, noble, and decided. He
asked Kate a great many questions, in order to assure himself that she
was not a naughty, wilful, and disobedient girl; and, in answer to them,
she told her whole story, as she had told it to Bob Hale and me in the
standing-room of the Splash. I made a voluntary statement of my
impressions in regard to the step-mother, and the interview I had had
with her.

"I never liked the woman," added Mr. Lor