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Rh start. "Why, I'm here first. No one passed me on the road. I—er, hum"—Dorsett turned white as his eye fell on Frank. He glared and shook his driving whip.

The animated and interested friend of Pryor stuck his head past the open doorway.

"I say, youngster," he asked guardedly, his face all a-grin, "how did you circumvent the old chap?"

"Well, I nearly swam part of the way," explained Frank. "Thank you, Mr. Pryor," he added, as the latter opened the wire gate for him to pass out.

The old clerk had sprung to his feet, gaping in consternation at him. Pryor's friend was convulsed with internal mirth. Pryor himself did not look altogether displeased at the situation.

Frank thought that Dorsett would actually leap upon him and strike him with the whip. The latter, however, with a hoarse growl in his throat, allowed Frank to proceed on his way unhindered.

"We shall hear from this of course—my mother and I," said the youth to himself as he gained the street. "Mr. Dorsett will store this up against me, hard. All right—I've done my simple duty and I'll stand by the results."

A minute later, looking back the way he had