For reply the man dove down in his pocket, and brought out some change.
"Eighty-five cents."
"That's all?"
"Yes."
"See here, if I stake you with another ten dollars, will you give me your word not to drink it up?"
"I will, Mr. Rover, I will!" exclaimed Andy Royce, earnestly.
"All right, then, here's the money;" and Tom brought out two five-dollar bills and placed them in the man's hands. "Now look here, unless you can find something to do, you come here and see me again in a few days."
"But see here, Tom," interposed Dick, in a low voice, "I don't think we can use Royce in anyway. Why not let him go? As a gardener he is out of place in a big city like New York."
"I want him to stay here for two reasons," answered Tom. "In the first place I want him on hand in case the authorities at the seminary need him. In the second place, I am going to put the matter squarely up to Miss Harrow. She thought Nellie guilty, and she may have thought Royce worse than he really was. Perhaps I can get her to give Royce another chance. I think he would be all right if he would only let drink alone."
"The same old warm-hearted Tom as of old!" responded Dick. "All right, have your own way about it."