"Oh, heavens! What shall I do?" ejaculated the frightened woman.






CHAPTER X.

AN EXCITING SCENE.





"You'd better go upstairs and get that money, or I will go up
myself," said the tramp, boldly.

"I will go," said Mrs. Cole, terrified.

It was at this time that Tom Tripp, looking in at the window, got an
idea of the situation, but he was unobserved. The river bank was
near, and he ran down to it, hoping, but not expecting, to see some
one who could interfere with the impudent robber. We have already
seen that he was luckier than he anticipated.

Meanwhile Mrs. Cole went upstairs, not knowing how to save the money
from being carried away. She wished heartily that her husband had
taken it with him. One hundred dollars, as she well knew, would be a