"It won't take five minutes," said the young man. "It is only to take this note up to Mr. Conant's room, on the fourth floor of this building."
They were standing in front of a high building occupied as offices.
The boy hesitated.
"Is there an answer?" he asked.
"No; you can come right down as soon as the letter is delivered."
"I suppose I could spare the time for that," said John Riley.
"Of course you can. It won't take you two minutes. Here is the ten cents. I'll hold your bundle for you while you run up."
"All right!" said the errand-boy, and, suspecting nothing, he surrendered his parcel, and taking the note and the dime, ran upstairs.
No sooner was he out of sight than the young man began to walk off rapidly with the bundle. It was an old trick, that has been many times played upon unsuspecting boys, and will continue to be played as long as there are knavish adventurers who prefer dishonest methods of getting a living to honest industry.
In this case, however, the rogue was destined to disappointment. It may be stated that he had been present in the dry-goods store from which the parcel came, and, knowing that the contents were valuable, had followed the boy.