“Where is he?” asked Rex.

“Lying down on the bed.  He is utterly exhausted.  I must go back to him now,” and Miles hurried off again.

CHAPTER XXXIV

 Rex rises to the occasion

“It’s wonderful.  I never heard anything like it.”  This was Mrs. Fox’s exclamation when the four were left alone in the front room again.

“All the credit belongs to you, Mr. Pell,” she went on, turning to Sydney.  “It was you thought of this way of doing things.”

“Oh, he might have recognized him any other way just as quickly,” returned Sydney.  “And now some one must tell him about Mr. Tyler’s legacy,” he added.  “I want to get that off my mind.”

“I guess he can’t stand that to-night, Mr. Pell,” returned the old lady.  “You’d better leave it till tomorrow.  I’ll keep Miles here with him to-night—­ there’s room—­ and then they can both go to see you to-morrow.”

“Yes, that will be the best way,” Sydney agreed.  “But I had hoped to get it off my mind by this time.  Come, boys.”

“I trust I shall see you both again,” said Mrs. Fox, as she shook hands with the twins.

Then the three Pells went out and homeward.  It was only nine o’clock.

“Mother ought to know, don’t you think so, Syd?” said Roy.

“Yes, she must know to-night.  But I don’t see how I can tell her.  I don’t see how I can.  She trusts me so fully.”

“Then let me tell her,” suggested Roy.

“No, no.  I must confess myself.  I shall do it now as soon as we get home.  Then I can be ready to put myself in Mr. Darley’s hands to-morrow.”

“Do you think he will—­ will—­” Rex began and came to a sudden stop.

“Send me to jail?” Syd finished for him.  “He may.  He has a right to do it.  I deserve to go.  Oh, boys, I wonder how you can bear to be with me.”

“You did it for our sakes, Syd,” responded Roy.

But Rex said nothing.

When they reached the house they found Eva and Jess in the parlor, entertaining company.

“Come in, boys,” Eva called as they passed the door.

Roy and Rex obeyed the summons, leaving Sydney to go up to Mrs. Pell in the library.

They found Mr. Keeler to be the caller.  Rex started when he saw who it was.

“Why, where is Miles?” asked Jess.

“He stayed with his father,” replied Rex.

“His father!” echoed both girls.  “Why, has he found him?”

“Yes,” answered Roy, “Syd found him.  There’s a story for you, Mr. Keeler, a regular romance.”

Rex began to look nervous.  He feared that his escapade with Harrington was about to be related.  But Roy skillfully told the main points in Miles’s career without encroaching on this.

Mr. Keeler stayed until ten o’clock, and while they were talking and laughing in the parlor, the twins were thinking of what was going on in the room above.