"But how did he make you do it?" asked Stephen, puzzled. "I can't understand."
"You see, I was sitting near a nice young lady, who had a purse pretty well filled. I noticed it when she took out a gold coin and gave it to the boy for his sister."
"Oh, that's the way Grace came by her gold, then!"
"What! do you know about it?"
"The girl showed it to me this evening," said Stephen. "But go on."
"It occurred to me that I stood more in need of the money than she, and I managed to slip my hand into her pocket and draw it out."
"I wish I could do it," said Stephen, "but I can't. My fingers are too clumsy. I should be sure to be caught."
"I would have got off well enough—in fact, I had made up my mind to get off at Libertyville, when that sneak of a boy came up and exposed me."
"Did he see you take the purse?"
"It seemed so. I didn't know any one was looking when I took the money."