If Willis Ford had been prudent he would have dropped the matter there, but his hatred of Grant was too great to be easily concealed.  When a few minutes later the broker entered the office and inquired, “Where is Grant?” Ford, after answering, “he has gone to the post-office,” could not help saying, “Are you going to keep that boy, Mr. Rey-nolds?”

“Why should I not?” the broker replied.

“I thought a boy in his position ought to be honest.”

“I agree with you, Mr. Ford,” said the broker, quietly.

“After taking my mother’s bonds, that can hardly be said of Grant Thornton.”

“You seem to be sure he did take them, Mr. Ford.”

“The discovery of the key settled that to my mind.”

“Grant says he has no knowledge of the key.”

Ford laughed scornfully.

“Of course he would say so,” he replied.

“I propose to investigate the matter further,” said the broker.  “Can you make it convenient to call at my house this evening?  Possibly something may be discovered by that time.”

“Yes, sir; I will come, with pleasure.  I have no feeling in regard to the boy, except that I don’t think it safe to employ him in a business like yours.”

“I agree with you, Mr. Ford.  One who is capable of stealing bonds from a private house is unfit to be employed in an office like mine.”

“Yet you retain the boy, sir?”

“For the present.  It is not fair to assume that he is guilty till we have demonstrated it beyond a doubt.”

“I think there will be no difficulty about that, Mr. Reynolds,” said Willis Ford, well pleased at these words.

“I sincerely hope that his innocence may be proved.”

Soon afterward Mr. Reynolds went to the Stock Exchange, and Willis Ford returned to his routine duties.

“With the testimony of Jim Morrison I shall be able to fix you, my young friend,” he said to himself, as Grant returned from the post-office.

No further allusion was made to the matter during the day.  Grant and Willis Ford were both looking forward to the evening, but for different reasons.  Grant expected to be vindicated, while Ford hoped he could convince the broker of the boy’s guilt.

CHAPTER XXI

THE THIEF IS DISCOVERED

Willis Ford ascended the steps of the broker’s residence with a jaunty step.  The servant admitted him, but he met Grant in the hall.

“Won’t you come upstairs, Mr. Ford?” he said.

Willis Ford nodded superciliously.

“Your stay in the house will be short, young man,” he thought.  “You had better make the most of it.”

He was ushered not into the housekeeper’s room, but into a sitting-room on the second floor.  He found Mr. Reynolds and his stepmother there already.  Both greeted him, the broker gravely, but his stepmother cordially.  Grant did not come in.