"Now I can have a comfortable night's rest," he reflected.
He had nearly fifty dollars with him, but this seemed a trifle compared with the diamond pin. Still he considered in what way he could secure this from chance of theft.
There seemed, however, to be very little danger. He had locked the door inside, leaving the key in the lock. There was no door communicating with any other room. After some consideration he decided to hide the wallet containing his money, not under his pillow, but under the sheet at the lower part of the bed where he could feel it with his feet.
"I guess I'll find it safe in the morning," he said to himself.
Now that he was relieved from all anxiety he composed himself to sleep, and in less than ten minutes he was unconscious of all around him.
About an hour later Mr. Buffington in bare feet stood in front of Mark's door. Through the open transom he could hear the boy's peaceful breathing.
"He is fast asleep," he said to himself with satisfaction. "I know how boys sleep, especially when they are tired. I don't think there will be much risk in carrying out my scheme."
He had a skeleton key which would readily have opened the door had the key not been in the lock on the inside. This fact he soon ascertained.
"It will make it harder for me," he reflected, "but there is the transom. I shall have to make use of that."
Mr. Buffington, to use the name by which we first knew him, had some experience as a gymnast. He drew himself up to a level with the transom, and then with considerable difficulty managed to get through.