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imposed　upon　by　the　clerical　appearance　of　the　adventurer。



〃It　is　mine；〃　said　Paul。



〃None　of　your　gammon！　　Give　up　the　ring；　and　come　with　me。〃



The　ring　was　restored　to　Mr。　Montgomery；　who　overwhelmed　the

officer　with　a　profusion　of　thanks。



〃It　is　not　a　diamond；　only　an　imitation；〃　he　said；　〃but　my　wife

values　it　as　the　gift　of　a　friend。　　Don't　be　too　hard　on　the　boy。



He　may　not　be　so　bad　as　he　seems。〃



〃I'll　attend　to　him；〃　said　the　policeman；　emphatically。　　〃I'll

learn　him　to　rob　ladies　of　rings　in　the　street。　　Come　along；

sir！〃



Paul　tried　to　explain　matters；　but　no　attention　was　paid　to　his

protestations。　　To　his　anger　and　mortification　he　saw　the

swindler　make　off　triumphantly　with　the　ring；　while　he；　the

wronged　owner；　was　arrested　as　a　thief。



But　at　the　station…house　he　had　his　revenge。　　He　was　able　to

prove　to　his　captor　that　he　had　lodged　information　against　Mr。

Montgomery；　and　the　policeman　in　turn　was　mortified　to　think　how

readily　he　had　been　imposed　upon。　　Of　course　Paul　was　set　free；

but　the　officer's　blundering　interference　seemed　to　render　the

recovery　of　the　ring　more　doubtful　than　ever。







CHAPTER　XXII



A　MAN　OF　RESOURCES



〃Well；　that　was　a　narrow　escape；〃　said　Mr。　Montgomery；　with　a

sigh　of　relief。　　〃I　think　I　managed　rather　cleverly；　eh？〃



〃I　wanted　to　box　the　boys　ears；〃　said　Mrs。　Montgomery；　sharply。



〃It　wouldn't　have　been　in　character；　my　dear。　　Ha；　ha！〃　　he

laughed；　softly；　〃we　imposed　upon　the　officer　neatly。　　Our　young

friend　got　rather　the　worst　of　it。〃



〃Why　don't　you　call　things　by　their　right　names？　　He　isn't　much

of　a　friend。〃



〃Names　are　of　no　consequence；　my　dear。〃



〃Well；　what　are　you　going　to　do　next？〃　asked　the　lady；　abruptly。



〃About　the　ring？〃



〃Of　course。〃



〃I　hardly　know；〃　said　Mr。　Montgomery；　reflectively。　　〃If　it　were

not　for　appearing　too　anxious；　I　would　go　back　to　Ball　&　Black's

now　that　our　young　friend　is　otherwise　engaged；　and　can't

interrupt　us。〃



〃Suppose　we　go？〃



〃Well；　you　see；　it　might　be　considered　rather　soon　for　you　to

recover　from　your　fit。　　Besides；　I　don't　know　what　stories　this

boy　may　have　thought　fit　to　tell　about　us。〃



〃He　didn't　have　time　to　say　anything。〃



〃Perhaps　you　are　right。〃



〃We　want　to　dispose　of　the　ring　as　soon　as　possible；　and　leave

the　city。〃



〃That　is　true。　　Well；　if　you　say　so；　we　will　go　back。〃



〃It　seems　to　me　now　is　the　best　time。　　The　boy　will　tell　his

story　to　the　officer　and　we　may　be　inquired　for。〃



〃Then；　my　dear；　I　will　follow　your　advice。〃



Mr。　and　Mrs。　Montgomery　turned；　and　directed　their　steps　again

toward　Broadway。　　The　distance　was　short；　and　fifteen　minutes　had

scarcely　elapsed　since　they　left　the　store　before　they　again

entered　it。　　They　made　their　way　to　the　lower　end　of　the　store

and　accosted　the　same　clerk　with　whom　they　had　before　spoken。



〃Is　your　wife　better？〃　he　asked。



〃Much　better；　thank　you。　　A　turn　in　the　air　always　relieves　her；

and　she　is　quite　herself　again。　　I　have　returned　because　it　is

necessary　for　me　to　leave　the　city　by　the　evening　train；　and　my

time　is；　therefore；　short。　　Will　you　be　kind　enough　to　show　the

ring　to　your　employer；　and　ask　him　if　he　will　purchase？〃



The　clerk　returned；　and　said　that　the　firm　would　pay　two　hundred

and　fifty　dollars；　but　must　be　assured　of　his　right　to　dispose　of

it。



〃Did　you　mention　my　name？〃　asked　the　adventurer。



〃I　mentioned　that　you　were　a　clergyman。　　I　could　not　remember　the

name。〃



〃The　Rev。　Mr。　Barnes；　of　Hayfield　Centre；　Connecticut。　　I　have

been　preaching　there　foris　it　six　or　seven　years；　my　dear？〃



〃Seven；〃　said　his　wife。



〃I　should　think　that　would　be　sufficient。　　You　may　mention　that

to　Mr。　Ball　or　Mr。　Black；　if　you　please。　　I　presume　after　that　he

will　not　be　afraid　to　purchase。〃



Mr。　Montgomery　said　this　with　an　air　of　conscious　respectability

and　high　standing；　which　might　readily　impose　upon　strangers。　

But；　by　bad　luck；　what　he　had　said　was　heard　by　a　person　able　to

confute　him。



〃Did　you　say　you　were　from　Hayfield　Centre？〃　asked　a　gentleman；

standing　a　few　feet　distant。



〃Yes；〃　said　Mr。　Montgomery。



〃I　think　you　said　your　name　was　Barnes？〃



〃Yes；　sir。〃



〃And　that　you　have　been　preaching　there　for　the　last　seven

years？〃



〃Yes；　sir；〃　answered　Mr。　Montgomery；　but　there　was　rather　less

confidence　in　his　tone。　　In　fact　he　was　beginning　to　feel　uneasy。



〃It　is　very　strange；〃　said　the　other。　　〃I　have　a　sister　living　in

Hayfield　Centre；　and　frequently　visit　the　place　myself；　and　so　of

course　know　something　of　it。　　Yet　I　have　never　heard　of　any

clergyman　named　Barnes　preaching　there。〃



Mr。　Montgomery　saw　that　things　looked　critical。



〃You　are　strangely　mistaken；　sir；〃　he　said。　　〃However；　I　will　not

press　the　sale。　　If　you　will　return　the　ring　（to　the　clerk）　I

will　dispose　of　it　elsewhere。〃



But　the　clerk's　suspicions　had　been　aroused　by　what　had　been

said。



〃I　will　first　speak　to　Mr。　Ball；〃　he　said。



〃There　is　no　occasion　to　speak　to　him。　　I　shall　not　sell　the　ring

to…day。　　To…morrow；　I　will　come　with　witnesses　whose　testimony

will　outweigh　that　of　this　gentleman；　who　I　suspect　never　was　in

Hayfield　Centre　in　his　life。　　I　will　trouble　you　for　the　ring。〃



〃I　hope　you　don't　intend　to　give　it　to　him；〃　said　the　gentleman。　

〃The　presumption　is　that；　as　he　is　masquerading；　he　has　not　come

by　it　honestly。〃



〃I　shall　not　deign　to　notice　your　insinuations；〃　said　Mr。

Montgomery；　who　concealed　beneath　a　consequential　tone　his　real

uneasiness。　　〃The　ring；　if　you　please。〃



〃Don't　give　it　to　him。〃



As　the　clerk　seemed　disinclined　to　surrender　the　ring；　Mr。

Montgomery　said：　　〃Young　man；　you　will　find　it　to　be　a　serious

matter　to　withhold　my　property。〃



〃Perhaps　I　had　better　give　it　to　him；〃　said　the　clerk；　imposed

upon　by　the　adventurer's　manner。



〃Require　him　to　prove　property。　　If　it　is　really　his；　he　can

readily　do　this。〃



〃My　dear；〃　said　the　Rev。　　Mr。　Barnes；　〃we　will　leave　the　store。〃



〃What；　and　leave　the　ring？〃



〃For　the　present。　　I　will　invoke　the　aid　of　the　police　to　save　me

from　being　robbed　in　this　extraordinary　manner。〃



He　walked　to　the　street　door；　accompanied　by　his　wife。　　He　was

deeply　disappointed　at　the　failure　of　the　sale；　and　would　gladly

have　wreaked　vengeance　upon　the　stranger　who　had　prevented　it。　

But　he　saw　that　his　safety　required　an　immediate　retreat。　　In

addition　to　his　own　disappointment；　he　had　to　bear　his　wife's

censure。



〃If　you　had　the　spirit　of　a　man；　Mr。　Montgomery；〃　she　commenced；

〃you　wouldn't　have　given　up　that　ring　so　easily。　　He　had　no

business　to　keep　it。〃



〃I　would　have　called　in　a　policeman　if　I　dared；　but　you　know　I　am

not　on　the　best　of　terms　with　these　gentlemen。〃



〃Are　we　to　lose　the　ring；　then？〃



〃I　am　afraid　so；　unless　I　can　make　them　believe　in　the　store　that

I　am　really　what　I　pretend　to　be。〃



〃Can't　you　do　it？〃



〃Not　very　easily；　unless　stay；　I　have　an　idea。　　Do　you　see　that

young　man？〃



He　directed　his　wife's　attention　to　a　young　man；　evidently　fresh

from　the　country；　who　was　approaching；　staring　open…eyed　at　the

unwonted　sights　of　the　city。　　He　was　dressed　in　a　blue　coat　with

brass　buttons；　while　his　pantaloons；　of　a　check　pattern；

terminated　rather　higher　up　than　was　in　accordance　with　the

fashion。



〃Yes；　I　see　him；〃　said　Mrs。　Montgomery。　　〃What　of　him？〃



〃I　am　going　to　recover　the　ring　through　his　help。〃



〃I　don't　see　how。〃



〃You　will　see。〃



〃How　do　you　do？〃　said　the　adventurer；　cordially；　advancing　to

the　young　man；　and　seizing　his　hand。



〃Pretty　smart；〃　said　the　countryman；　looking　surprised。



〃Are　your　parents　quite　well？〃



〃They're　so's　to　be　around。〃



〃When　did　you　come　to　the　city？〃



〃This　mornin'。〃



〃Do　you　stay　any　length　of　time？〃



〃I'm　goin'　back　this　afternoon。〃



〃You　didn't　expect　to　meet　me　now；　did　you？〃　asked　Mr。

Montgomery。



〃I　s'pose　I'd　orter　know　you；〃　said　the　perplexed　youth；　〃but　I

can't　think　what　your　name　is。〃



〃What！　　Not　know　Mr。　Barnes；　the　minister　of　Hayfield　Centre？　

Don't　you　remember　hearing　me　preach　for　your　minister？〃



〃Seems　to　me　I　do；〃　answered　the　young　man；　persuading　himself

that　he　ought　to　remember。



〃Of　course　you　do。　　Now；　my　young　friend；　I　am　very　glad　to　have

met　you。〃



〃So　am　I；〃　said　the　other；　awkwardly。



〃You　can　do　me　a　favor；　if　you　will。〃



〃Of　course；　I　will；〃　said　Jonathan；　〃if　it's　anything　I　can　do。〃



〃Yes；　you　will　have　no　trouble　about　it。　　You　see；　I　went　into　a

jeweler's　near　by　to　sell　a　valuable　ring；　and　they　wanted　to

make　sure　I　was　really　a　minister；　and　not　intending　to　cheat

them。　　If　you　will　go　in　with　me；　and　say　that　you　have　often

heard　me　preach；　and　that　I　am　the　Rev。　Mr。　Barnes；　of　Hay