"If you'll pardon me I'll go."
He went out, closing the door behind him. Approaching Paula, Tod said earnestly:
"I should have come here before, only I could not get away. I'm keeping tabs on Cooley. I wanted to warn Ricaby. Ricaby is all right, but he doesn't seem to know how to handle the case. He gets the worst of it every time."
"What is the news?" demanded Paula uneasily.
"Well, they've arrested Ricaby!"
"Arrested him! What for?"
"For debt. It appears that he has borrowed money on some securities left in his charge by a client, or something of that sort. He was taken from his office this morning to the City Hall Court. He's trying to get bail."
"Mr. Ricaby in prison!" cried Paula. "The only friend I have in the world!"
"Not the only friend," replied the young man promptly. "Count me, too, Miss Paula. I'm with you in the fight you're putting up against that school of sharks, and you couldn't drive me away from you with a Gatling. This is a new move in their game, but we'll block it. I'm going on Ricaby's bail bond myself."
"Can you?" asked Paula eagerly.