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 left his little protégé and caught the last clearly spoken sentences.

Gerald would have drawn him away, too; but Philip took the hand of the younger boy and made a sign to him to remain and hear what General Sawtelle would reply. He put his finger upon his lips.

"Why," responded the general, from within the arbor, "his father was Touchtone—Reginald Touchtone—who was so badly involved in the famous robbery of the Suburban Trust Company, years ago, in X, just outside of New York."

"O," returned the other speaker, "I remember. Touchtone was the cashier."

"Yes; the man that turned out to be a friend of the gang that did the business," another speaker chimed in.

"Certainly. They were sure that the scamp opened the safe for them. They made out a clear case against him. He went to the penitentiary with the rest of 'em."

Gerald was trembling, and held Philip's cold hand as the two lads stood there to hear words so humiliating to one of them. But Philip whispered, "Don't go!" and still restrained him.