"You won't take him up--will you? It would break his heart," pleaded Maggie.
"I don't think it will be necessary to arrest him," replied the constable, rather cautiously. "The man that stole the papers came to this room, and I have no doubt he put them there to get rid of them."
"Send for Leo; I will promise you he shall not be taken up," added Mr. Checkynshaw, taking the responsibility upon himself.
Maggie wrote a note, and sent Tom Casey to the school with it, the gentlemen having taken seats in the front parlor. In a short time Leo appeared, trembling lest his father had had another attack of paralysis. He was not a little surprised to find the banker and the constable awaiting his arrival.
"Leo, what do you keep in that chest of yours, up in your room?" asked the officer.
"My clothes, sir," replied Leo, astonished at the strange question.
"Don't you keep any white mice in it?" said the constable, smiling.
"Don't your mice get out of their houses down stairs, and come up?"
"I have seen two or three of them in the kitchen."
"I never saw any up there," answered Leo, puzzled by these singular inquiries.
"What would you say if I told you that a couple of them had made a nest in your chest up stairs, and had a litter of little ones there?"
"I don't know what I should say. I don't know that it would be very strange."
"If you saw them there I should not, though I don't see how they could get into the chest. The lid is always closed."
"But you might have left the lid up some morning, and the mice might have crawled down to the very bottom of the chest, and had a family there. Could this have happened?"
"It could; but I don't think it is very likely it did happen."
"I don't think I should. Maggie puts my shirts and stockings at the top of the chest, and I hardly know what there is at the bottom. She takes care of my things."
"Is there anything in that chest besides your clothes?"
"Yes; I believe there is a piece of brass chain, a ball, some marbles, and a top in the till."
"There may be some other things of that sort in the till. I don't remember; if you want to know, I will go up and show you."
"Are there any papers there?" demanded the constable, sharply.
"Yes, sir, there are two or three newspapers."