"More than likely he won't stay in this city. He may be miles away already. He didn't want to see those men from Chicago."
They talked the matter over for an hour, at the end of which time a detective from headquarters came to interview them. The detective took charge of the office, and that seemed to be the end of the affair.
"Give me your addresses," said the detective to Nat and his fellow clerk. "If we hear anything we will let you know," and so it was arranged.
Nat felt very much downcast when he arrived at his boarding house that evening. Mrs. Talcott was not long in noticing it.
"You seem to be in trouble, Nat," said she kindly, for she had taken quite a fancy to the country lad. "Can I help you in any way?"
"I don't know," he answered, bluntly. "I've gone and made a big fool of myself."
"In what way?" asked she in astonishment.
"I thought I was smart, but I'm a regular country greeny. I let a man swindle me out of nearly every dollar I possessed."
"That is certainly too bad, Nat. How did it happen?"
For answer our hero made a clean breast of the whole matter. While he was telling his tale, Dick came in, and he was likewise told.