Paul swung his friend around so that he could see into his face; for they were just passing a street lamp at the time.

“Oh!  I can look you in the eyes, old fellow.  It isn’t anything disgraceful I’ve been doing, not at all.  But you see,” and again that frown darkened Jack’s brow as unpleasant things presented themselves before his mind’s eye, “it’s a family affair, I’m afraid, and must be kept quiet.”

“Now you have got me to guessing good and hard.  Suppose you tell me what it’s all about.  I hope your brother, Karl—­” and there Paul stopped, for by instinct he seemed to feel that he had guessed the truth the first shot.

Jack had given a huge sigh that seemed to well up from his heart.

“Yes, it’s about Karl, only I do hope that it will prove a false alarm, because I just can’t believe he’d do such a rotten thing,” the other went on, slowly.

“But he’s only a little fellow after all, Jack?”

“That’s so, but old enough to know better.  You shall hear it all, and then perhaps you’ll advise me what to do,” went on Paul’s chum, with a vein of relief in his voice, as though he felt better already, after deciding to share his trouble with another.

“That’s right, and you know that it goes no further, Jack.”

“Karl got into some mischief a week ago, and to punish him father cut off his allowance of spending money for a whole month.  Now, Karl belongs to a boys’ club, and I heard that at their last meeting the other day he paid up his dues, and seemed to have plenty of money.  The question that is bothering me is, where did he get it?”

“Oh! is that all?  Why, you forget that your brother is a bright chap; and I imagine you’ll find he’s been earning it some way or other; or perhaps his mother gave it to him.  But see here, there’s more back of this than you’ve told me?” declared Paul, suddenly.

“There is,” replied his chum.  “Listen now, and for goodness sake I hope you can cheer me up some, by explaining a mystery that’s bothering me.  It’s about those old coins Uncle Reuben sent to me two years ago.  There are some twenty-one in the lot.  They’re copper coins, you know and I don’t suppose worth much.  I’ve always kept them in a little open cedar box on my table up in the den; you’ve spoken about them more than once.”

“Sure, I remember all about them; but you don’t mean to say—­” and there Paul stopped, almost afraid to voice the thought that flashed before his mind.

“Yes, a bunch of them have gone in a mighty queer way.  Why this morning there were just fourteen left; but to tell the truth I was afraid to go up there at supper time when I came in after our last game of ball on the lot, to see if any more had disappeared.”

“Say it plainly, Jack.  Some one is taking your old coins, sent by your uncle, and you’re just afraid it’s Karl, tempted to get some money in that way.  But where could he sell them, do you think?”