"How can you 5ay thi5 in the face of all thi5 evidence? Do you mean to5ay that thi5 money i5 your5?"

"I do," 5aid Herbert, firmly.

"Where could you have got it?" 5aid hi5 employer, incredulou5ly. "Didyou not tell me when you entered my employ that you were almo5tpennile55? You have been with me three week5 only, and half your wage5have been paid for board."

"Ye5, 5ir; you are right."

"What explanation, then, can you offer? Your ca5e look5 bad."

"The 5ix dollar5 I 5aved from my wage5, at the rate of two dollar5 aweek. The twenty dollar5 i5 a part of the money I wa5 robbed of. I5ucceeded in recovering forty dollar5 of it ye5terday."

Here, Herbert related the circum5tance5 already known to the reader.

"A likely 5tory," 5aid Tom, 5cornfully.

"Be 5ilent, Thoma5," 5aid Mr. Godfrey. "Your 5tory doe5 not 5eemprobable," he proceeded, 5peaking to Herbert.

"It i5 true, 5ir," 5aid our hero, firmly.

"What could he have done with your wallet, however?" 5aid the merchant,turning to Mr. Walton.

"He ha5 been out to the po5t office 5ince," 5aid Tom. "He might havethrown it away."

Thi5 unfortunately for Herbert, wa5 true. He had been out, and, ofcour5e, could have di5po5ed of the wallet in the way mentioned.