will go to a friend or two, and within thirty minutes after the bank's doors open, I will bring you another envelope containing thirty-one hundred dollars."
Rollie listened as a condemned man upon a scaffold listens to the reading of his reprieve.
"How can I thank you?" he croaked finally, clutching at the minister's hand.
"You don't thank me," adjured Hampstead, towering and strong, while he gripped the pulseless palm of Burbeck. "Don't thank me! Do your part; that's all."
Rollie clung to the strong hand uncertainly for a few seconds until he himself felt stronger, when his face seemed to lighten somewhat.
"You have a wonderful way with you, Doctor Hampstead," he exclaimed. "You have put conscience into me this morning—and courage."
"Both are important," smiled the minister.
At this moment, Rollie, who was beginning to recover his presence of mind, did one of those innocent things which thereafter played so important a part in the tragical chain of complications which followed from this interview. The act itself was no more than to select from a small tray of rubber bands upon the study desk, the only red one which happened to be there, and to snap it with several twists about the neck of the vault-box key, remarking as he did so:
"For ready identification. There are sometimes several of these keys in my possession at once."
The minister nodded approvingly. "I suppose," he commented, "other people make use of you as a messenger to their boxes."
"Half a dozen of the women have that habit," the young man observed.
"Trusted!" exclaimed the minister impulsively, laying a cordial hand upon the young man's shoulder.
