“You are sure of that, Fred?”

“Sure of it, sir?   Why, I will take any oath that will satisfy-----”

“We don’t want any perjury here,” cut in the lawyer, crisply, and touched a bell.

The folding doors behind them flew open with a bang.  As Fred started and whirled about he beheld a stranger advancing toward them, and that stranger was escorting—–­Tip Scammon.

The stranger halted with his jailbird companion some five or six feet away.  The stranger did not appear greatly concerned.  Tip, however, looked utterly abashed, and unable to raise his gaze from the floor.

“With this exhibit, young man,” went on the lawyer, in a sorrowful tone, “I don’t suppose it is necessary to go much further with the story.  When I first began to miss small sums from the safe I thought I might merely have made a mistake about the sums that I had put away.  Finally, I took to counting the money more carefully.  Then I puzzled for a while.  At last, I sent for this man, who is a detective.  He has come and gone so quietly that probably you have not noticed him.  This man has had a hiding place from which he could watch the safe.  Early last evening you took the key and opened the safe—–­robbed it!  You took four five-dollar bills, but they were marked.  This man saw you meet Tip Scammon, saw you pass the money over, and heard a conversation that has filled me with amazement.  So my son has been paying blackmail money for months!”

Fred stood staggered, for a few moments.  Then he wheeled fiercely on Scammon.

“You scoundrel, you’ve been talking about me—–­telling lies about me,” young Ripley uttered hoarsely.

“I hain’t told nothing about ye,” retorted Tip stolidly.  “But this rich man’s cop (detective) nabbed me the first thing this morning.  He took me up inter yer father’s office, an’ asked me whether I’d let him explore my clothes, or whether I’d rather have a policeman called in.  He ’splained that, if he had to call the poor man’s cop, I’d have to be arrested for fair.  So I let him go through my clothes.  He found four five-spots on me, and told me I’d better wait an’ see yer father.  So I’m here, an’ not particular a bit about having to go up to the penitentiary for another stretch.”

“It hasn’t been necessary, Fred, to question Scammon very far,” broke in the elder Ripley.  “That’ll do, now, Haight.  Since Scammon volunteered to give the money back, and said he didn’t know it had been stolen, you can turn him loose.”

The detective and Tip had no more than gone when Lawyer Ripley, his face flushed with shame, wheeled about on his son.

“So you see, Fred, what your word of honor the word of a Ripley—–­is sometimes worth.  You have been robbing me steadily.  How much you have taken I do not know as I have not always counted or recorded money that I put in the safe.”

Fred’s face had now taken on a defiant look.  He saw that his father did not intend to be harsh, so the boy determined to brave it out.