"That sounds good to me, Jack. Please look hard, and see if you can
run across that paper. It might be the solution of the whole thing. If
father wrote again and even a third time I'd lose my guilty fears,
because one of his letters would be bound to get across."

"Why, even the possibility of this proving to be a success caused the
boy to smile, though he looked almost comical while so doing, because
his heart still hung like lead in his breast.

"Well, try and forget it all you can, Bob," Jack went on to say,
encouragingly. "I believe I can find that paper, and I'll hunt far and
wide for it, I give you my word. If anything else strikes me
meanwhile, I'll speak to you about it. If I were you I'd throw myself
into the game, and that ought to help you forget your troubles."

"Yes, it's all very good for the time being, Jack," sighed the other,
"but say, after the excitement is all over with, and you find yourself
nearing the house, and father, the most terrible feeling grips you
around your heart. I know I'll have a perfectly terrible month of it,
every day seeming to be forty-eight hours long. But it serves me
right. After this Bob Jeffries will be a reformed boy, I give you my
word for that. Never again can I allow myself to grow careless, and do
important things as though I was in a dream. I've awakened at last,
Jack."

"Then if that is so, Bob, you're bound to profit by your lesson. It
may seem hard, but in the long run it'll pay you many times over. I'll
not mention your trouble to either of my chums, though for that matter
both Toby and Steve would feel just as sorry as I do. Still, there's
no way they could help you, and for your sake and peace of mind I'll