The few remaining people who were now taking leave of each other had concentrated in one spot.  There was a loud buzz of conversation and laughter, when suddenly, without a moment’s warning, the electric lights went out.  The gasoline torches had burned down by now and the place was in utter darkness.

Somewhere in the hall there was a cry, the sound of scuffling and then absolute silence.

Many of the men began to strike matches and peer into the darkness, and at last David groped his way over to a corner of the hall where he remembered he had seen the switch.  As he felt for the electric button his hand encountered another hand, that grasped his with an iron grip, gave his wrist a vicious twist, pushed him violently away and was gone.  David gave an involuntary cry of pain as he felt for the switch again.  In another moment he had found it and the hall was again flooded with light.  Instantly he looked about for the vicious person who had twisted his wrist, but he was alone in that part of the hall.

The excitements of that evening, however, were not yet at an end.  People began running toward the last booth.  There were cries and exclamations, and David, who had followed quickly after them, arrived there just in time to meet Mr. Harlowe carrying the limp figure of his daughter Grace in his arms.  He deposited her on four chairs placed in a row, a bottle of smelling salts was put to her nose, while Hippy and Reddy ran for water.

Grace opened her eyes almost immediately and sat up.

“I’m not hurt,” she said.  “I was only stunned.  Some one hit me on the head from behind, but my cap softened the blow.  They were trying to get the box of money.  Oh, is it gone?” she cried anxiously.

David and Tom examined the booth.

The money was gone.

CHAPTER VIII

MARIAN ASSERTS HER INDEPENDENCE

There was not the slightest clue to the thief who had stolen the iron box containing a little over five hundred dollars, for which the girls had worked so hard, but the loss was made good by Judge Putnam who, though on the bench at the state capital at the time the robbery occurred, had promptly sent Grace his check for the amount when Grace wrote him an account of it.  For which generous act he became the idol of Oakdale High School.

“As for the thief,” observed Mr. Harlowe, several mornings later at the breakfast table, after Grace had opened the letter and joyfully exhibited the check to her mother and father; “he’ll have some trouble opening that box.  It was the strongest box I have ever seen of the kind, made of iron reinforced with steel bands, with a combination lock that would baffle even your friend, Richards, Grace, who appeared to be a pretty sharp crook.”

“How will the thief get at the money, then, father?” asked Grace.

“I can’t imagine,” answered Mr. Harlowe.  “If he tries to blow up the box he runs the chance of blowing up all the money at the same time, and I don’t believe there is an instrument made that would pry it open.  He can’t melt it and he can’t knock a hole in it.  Therefore, I don’t just see what he can do, unless he finds some way to work the combination.”