that there had been an overlooked pocket was convincingly genuine.

"You see," he explained, "I wore it over my pants, of course, and I had
the pockets in them, so I didn't look for no more."

Pete escorted the rector to the "Vawdyville," and by good fortune the
clerical impersonator in the sketch was still on the board, though in a
different act. He instantly and decidedly disclaimed all knowledge of a
pocket.

"It's like that game," grinned Pete. "Button, button, who's got the
button?"

"Yes," agreed John, with a sigh, "only in this case I fear I shall
continue to be 'it.'"

The brakeman, when he came in from his run, was located and he joined in
the blockade that was conspiring against John's future happiness.

The clothes-line thief was very sensitive on the subject, and felt
greatly aggrieved that he should be accused of picking his own pocket,
for he protested that he had "found" the garment. The fancied
insinuation indeed was so strongly resented that John wondered if it
might not be a proverbial case of "hit birds flutter."

Neither police nor court of justice had examined the pocket; nor had
they been aware of the existence of one. The bishop could throw no light
on the missing article, and this call ended the successless tour of
investigation.