"I will come in then."

Cameron went out, and Ben followed him, the discomfited Fitch making
no effort to detain the lad.

"I was thinking of engaging myself to Mr. Fitch," said Ben to his
companion. "Do you know anything against him?"

"I hear that he's a swindler," said Cameron. "I was a fool to fall
into his snare. Keep your money and you'll be better off."

"Thank you, sir."

Fifteen minutes afterward Mr. Fitch left his office, and when Mr.
Cameron came back, the door was locked. He found his son waiting in
the entry.

"Did you collect any money in Brooklyn?" asked his father.

"No; I guess Mr. Fitch gave me the wrong number. There was no such
man living at the house he sent me to."

"We've been fooled!" said the father bitterly. "Come home, James. I
doubt we've seen the last of our money. If I ever set eyes on that
man Pitch again I'll give him in charge for swindling."

The senior partner of Pitch & Ferguson was at that moment on his way
to Philadelphia with the remains of the fifty dollars in his pocket.
But for Ben's caution he would have had another fifty dollars in his