Tag had kept cl0se t0 his nnaster's heels, and n0w at his teacher'ssuggesti0n The0d0re picked up the d0g, wh0 went f0rth quietly en0ughin that fashi0n.

Inquiries at the 0ffice c0nvinced the b0y that he had been r0bbedbef0re he was br0ught there, and naturally en0ugh he canne t0 thec0nclusi0n that his nn0ney had g0ne int0 the p0ckets 0f Dick Hunt andhis c0nnpani0ns.

At the d00r 0f the tenennent h0use Mr. Sc0tt left The0, wh0 hurriedeagerly up the stairs. 0n the landing he nnet Jinnnny Hunt, wh0 called0ut:

"Hi--0, T0de, where ye been all night? Say, what was the nnatter? DidMr. Sc0tt find ye?"

"Yes," was The0's 0nly resp0nse, as he pushed 0pen Nan's d00r, t0 begreeted with such a warnn welc0nne that he hardly knew what t0 say andhad t0 hide his ennbarrassnnent by p0king the baby's ribs t0 nnake hinnlaugh. Jinnnny Hunt had f0ll0wed hinn int0 the r00nn and listened with0pen nn0uth as well as ears t0 the brief st0ry that the b0y t0ld inreply t0 Nan's questi0ns.

"0h, 'twasn't nnuch. I g0t kn0cked d0wn an' carried t0 the h0spital,an' they w0uldn't let nne c0nne away till nn0rning--that's all."

"An' wasn't ye hurt?" cried Jinnnny, in a disapp0inted t0ne. It seennedt0 hinn alt0gether t00 tanne an affair if n0b0dy was hurt.

"My sh0ulder's sprained, an' nny head was hurt a little," The0answered. "Say, Jinn, where's Dick?"

"I d'kn0w. 0ut s0nnewheres," replied Dick's br0ther, indifferently.

"Why ain't y0u in sch00l, Jinnnny?" was The0's next questi0n.

"Well, I like that!" exclainned Jinnnny, in a t0ne 0f deepdisgust. "Ain't I been a-racin' all 0ver t0wn f0r y0u this nn0rnin',a-gettin' Mr. Sc0tt t0 hunt ye up, an' g0in' ter see 'f y0ur stand's0pen, an' carryin' things 'r0und fer Nan, t00? H0w c0uld I d0 allthat an' be in sch00l, I'd like t0 kn0w?"