“On our arrival, we learned, to our surprise and regret, that you had escaped from the institution on the preceding evening.  Every effort was made to retake you, but without success.  Ah, Bobby, you managed that well.”

“They didn’t look in the right place,” replied Bobby, with a smile, for he began to feel happy again.

“By the permission of the superintendent, Squire Lee and myself examined Tom Spicer.  He is a great rascal.  Perhaps he thought we would get him out; so he made a clean breast of it, and confessed that you had no hand in the robbery, and that you knew nothing about it.  He gave you the two bills on purpose to implicate you in the crime.  We wrote down his statement, and had it sworn to before a justice of the peace.  You shall read it by and by.”

“May Heaven reward you for your kindness to a poor boy!” exclaimed Bobby, the tears flowing down his cheeks again.  “I did not deserve so much from you, Mr. Bayard.”

“Yes, you did, and a thousand times more.  I was very sorry you had left the institution, and I waited in the vicinity till they said there was no probability that you would be captured.  The most extraordinary efforts were used to find you; but there was not a person to be found who had seen or heard of you.  I was very much alarmed about you, and offered a hundred dollars for any information concerning you.”

“I am sorry you had so much trouble.  I wish I had known you were there.”

“How did you get off?”

Bobby briefly related the story of his escape, and Mr. Bayard pronounced his skill worthy of his genius.

“Sam Ray is a good fellow; we will remember him,” added the bookseller, when he had finished.

“I shall remember him; and only that I shall be afraid to go into the State of Maine after what has happened, I should pay him a visit one of these days.”

“There you are wrong.  Those who know your story would sooner think of giving you a public reception, than of saying or doing any thing to injure your feelings.  Those who have suffered unjustly are always lionized.”

“But no one will know my story, only that I was sent to prison for stealing.”

“There you are mistaken again.  We put articles in all the principal papers, stating the facts in the case, and establishing your innocence beyond a peradventure.  Go to Augusta now, Bobby, and you will be a lion.”

“I am sure I had no idea of getting out of the scrape so easily as this.”

“Innocence shall triumph, my young friend.”

“What does mother say?” asked Bobby, his countenance growing sad.

“I do not know.  We returned from Maine only yesterday; but Squire Lee will satisfy her.  All that can worry her, as it has worried me, will be her fears for your safety when she hears of your escape.”

“I will soon set her mind at ease upon that point.  I will take the noon train home.”