ch me."

"Well, youngster," said the conductor, "if the lady agrees, I'll
search you."

The lady signified her assent.

Frank accordingly turned his pockets inside out, but nothing was
revealed except his own porte-monnaie and a penknife.

"Well, ma'am, are you satisfied?" asked the conductor.

"No, I aint," said she, decidedly.

"You don't think he's got it still?"

"No, but he's passed it over to his confederate, that boy there
that's so full of impudence."

"That's me," said Dick, comically.

"He confesses it," said the lady; "I want him searched."

"All right," said Dick, "I'm ready for the operation, only, as I've
got valooable property about me, be careful not to drop any of my
Erie Bonds."

The conductor's hand forthwith dove into Dick's pocket, and drew out
a rusty jack-knife, a battered cent, about fifty cents in change,
and the capacious pocket-book which he had received from the
swindler who was anxious to get back to his sick family in Boston.

"Is that yours, ma'am?" asked the conductor, holding up the wallet
which excited some amazement, by its size, among the other
passengers.

"It seems to me you carry a large pocket-book for a young man of
your age," said the conductor.

"That's what I carry my cash and valooable papers in," said Dick.

"I suppose that isn't yours, ma'am," said the conductor, turning to
the lady.

"No," said she, scornfully. "I wouldn't carry round such a great
wallet as that. Most likely he's stolen it from somebody else."

"What a prime detective you'd be!" said Dick. "P'rhaps you know who
I took it from."

"I don't know but my money's in it," said the lady, sharply.
"Conductor, will you open that wallet, and see what there is in it?"

"Don't disturb the valooable papers," said Dick, in a tone of
pretended anxiety.

The contents of the wallet excited some amusement among the
passengers.

"There don't seem to be much money here," said the conductor, taking
out a roll of tissue paper cut out in the shape of bills, and rolled
up.

"No," said Dick. "Didn't I tell you them were papers of no valoo to
anybody but the owner? If the lady'd like to borrow, I won't charge
no interest."

"Where is my money, then?" said the lady, in some discomfiture. "I
shouldn't wonder if one of the young scamps had thrown it out of the
window."

"You'd better search your pocket once more," said the gentleman
opposite. "I don't believe either of the boys is in fault. They
don'