“I want him to answer,” cried her elder sister, severely. “Why did he carry the album away? And where is it now?”
It must be confessed that Ruth Kenway had worked herself into a fever of excitement. It was the result of the repressed anxiety she had so long endured regarding this strange and wonderful find of Agnes’ in the old Corner House garret.
Neale was very pale now. He was usually slow to anger, and his friends, the Corner House girls, had never seen him moved so deeply before.
“I did think the bonds might be worth something,” Neale said, at last, and hoarsely. “I told Aggie so.”
“But the money?” cried Ruth.
“You say it’s good,” the boy returned. “You can believe that’s so if you want to. I didn’t think it was when I took the book.”
“I tell you Mr. Crouch, at the bank, said it was perfectly good. See here!” cried Ruth, desperately.
She ran for her purse that lay on the sewing-machine table. She opened it and drew forth the folded ten dollar bill. With it came the other bill she had put away.
“I showed him this!” Ruth began, when Agnes stooped to pick up the other.
“What’s this?” the second sister asked.