She was one of the best students in the class.

He would have passed her with a brief nod of good morning, but he saw that she was waiting to speak to him. And it suddenly struck him how lovely her eyes were, great deep brown wells. What was the matter with him this morning?

He paused as she spoke.

“I was waiting to speak to you. There’s something I think you ought to know,” she said, in a voice that seemed almost frightened. “Weren’t you here last night? I thought I heard them call you ‘Bob,’ and it seemed like your voice that answered.”

“Sure, I was here,” he answered, stepping a little closer. “Did they wake you up?”

“Why, I hadn’t been asleep,” she said. “I was worried. You see, my room is in the third story back. And just as I turned my light out, I heard a noise out here in the alley and I looked out, and I was sure I saw a man’s feet disappearing into the window of the store.”

“The dickens! You did?” said Bob with a whistle of astonishment.

“But I wasn’t sure at all,” said Lancey. “It is awfully dark in the alley. But I waited, and pretty soon I saw a light in the store. Sometimes I wasn’t sure but it was just the reflection of the streetlight over there on the mirror. I thought it was my imagination. Then I got so excited I didn’t know what to do. It seemed as if I ought to tell somebody, but I couldn’t get down without waking my aunt, and I knew she wouldn’t hear to my calling somebody. She would have said I was a romantic little fool. So I waited, but I guess I ought to have gone anyway. But before I got my courage up, I saw someone else come down the alley, and a man jumped out of the window, and then it all happened. I wanted to scream out but was so frightened I couldn’t make a sound, and when I got control of myself, I saw two people come running, and I heard Mr. Washburn call out, ‘Get him, Bob.’ “ And you answered, and then I knew there was no need. But I saw the man run down in those bushes, and then it was dark beyond; I couldn’t see him any longer. I knew you all were onto him so I needn’t do anything more, and I wasn’t sure but the police had got him, for they were all in a bunch when they came back. But after they had all gone, I sat there awhile, just watching that group of elderberry bushes till it seemed to move and walk up across the grass. And pretty soon I saw it really was a man moving in the darkest places across the end of our back fence. He had come right out of the bushes, or behind the bushes. He must have hid until you all went away. And he kept so close to the fence, I could only see the top of his head sometimes. He would move a few steps and then stop a long time.”

Bob was listening in fascination, watching the girl’s sweet face, thinking with his subconscious mind how strange it was he had never noticed what pretty, delicate features she had, and that lovely oval of her pale cheeks that just now was tinged the least bit with the pink of excitement.

“When I saw he was turning in between our store and the bakery,” went on Lancey, “I slipped out of my room and went down in the store to watch and see if he came out into the street, and just as I got in the store he went by the window. I saw he was limping, and he had no hat on. He went very slowly, watching the street each way, and finally crossed the street and went into Mrs.