"You seem bound to fasten something upon my son."

"Well, Mr. Melville, can't you yourself understand that everything
appears to point to Don as the prime mover in all this business?"

"I do not agree with you, sir."

"Well, perhaps that's hardly to be expected." laughed Jacob Farnum.
"However, since the real Jack Benson wasn't in that little picture so
neatly framed for inspection, let us get up closer to him, and ask him
to tell us just what did happen."

So Jack, as the party turned into the road, related the story of the
trap that had been sprung on him, and how he had escaped from it.

At the conclusion of the narrative, Mr. Farnum turned around to say
to Don:

"Young man, if you have engineered the whole of to-night's plan, I must
compliment you on your originality and ingenuity. Nothing but accident
prevented you from having a complete triumph."

"Be careful, sir, what you say about my son!" warned George Melville,
pompous in his anger.

"As it disturbs you," smiled Farnum, "I won't say any more about it.
The whole business will keep."

The elder Melville, however, pulled Mr. Farnum by the arm until he had