"Now, my boy," he said, smoothly, "give me what you took from the secretary, and I will see that you are not arrested." "But, sir, I didn't take nothing--it's just as I told the old duffer. The girl waked up just as I'd got the secretary open, and I didn't have a chance." "But the money is gone," said Curtis, in an incredulous tone. "I don't know nothing about that." "Come, you'd better examine your pockets. In the hurry of the moment you may have taken it without knowing it." "No, I couldn't." "Didn't you take a paper of any kind?" asked Curtis, eagerly. "Sometimes papers are of more value than money." "No, I didn't take no paper, though Tim told me to." Curtis quietly ignored the allusion to Tim, for it did not suit his purpose to get Tim into trouble. His unscrupulous agent knew too much that would compromise his principal. "Are you willing that I should examine you?" "Yes, I am. Go ahead." Curtis thrust his hand into the pockets of the boy, who, boy as he was, was as tall as himself, but was not repaid by the discovery of anything. He was very much perplexed. "Didn't you throw the articles on the floor?" he demanded, suspiciously. "No, I didn't." "You didn't give them to the young lady?" "No; if I had she'd have said so." "Humph! this is strange. What is your name?" "Dodger." "That's a queer name; have you no other?" "Not as I know of." "With whom do you live?"