on entering the palmer house robert was very much surprised to run across dr. remington.

at first glance he did not recognize the physician, for the latter's face was much bloated, showing that he had been drinking heavily, and his general appearance was seedy to the last degree.

"why, hullo!" cried dr. remington, on seeing our hero. "when did you get back to chicago?"

"i got back yesterday," replied robert coldly. he was about to pass on when the doctor detained him.

"got back yesterday, eh? did you have a nice trip?"

"yes."

"glad to hear it, frost. and how is mrs. vernon?"

"very well."

"good enough. i suppose an ocean trip was just what she wanted."

"it was," said robert. he was struck with a sudden idea that perhaps remington knew something of frederic vernon's whereabouts. "how have you been?"

"oh, so so. you see, i've been troubled a good deal lately with the grippe."

"a doctor ought to be able to cure himself of that."

"so one would think, but it's pretty hard for a doctor to cure himself, even though he can cure others."

"how is your old friend frederic vernon these days?" went on our hero, in an apparently careless tone.

at this question remington's face fell and took on a sour look.

"vernon played me a mean trick," he muttered.

"how so?"

"why, i--er--i loaned him some money, and he went off without paying me back."

"and you haven't seen anything of him since?"

"no. do you know where he is?"

"i do not."

"didn't he follow you to europe?"

"he did. but he wasn't there long before he cleared out," added robert.

by the manner in which remington spoke he felt that the doctor had told the truth about frederic vernon, and if this was so it was likely that vernon had not returned to chicago.

"i'll wager he worried his aunt a good bit while he was there," went on remington, closing one eye suggestively.

"he did. but i must go on, because i do not wish to miss meeting a friend of mine."

robert tried to proceed, but again the seedy doctor detained him.

"hold on a bit, frost. i--er--that is, how are you fixed?"

"what do you mean?"

"can you lend me ten dollars for a few days? i'm out trying to collect some bills from my patients, but all of them seem to be out of town."

this statement was a falsehood, for remington had neither an office nor a practice left, and the few people that he did treat now and then had to pay him his small fee in spot cash.

"you will have to excuse me, dr. remington," said robert. he saw no reason for accommodating the man who had caused his best friend so much trouble.

"won't you lend me the money?" demanded the doctor half angrily.

"i will not."

"don't get on a high-horse about it, frost. anybody is liable to get into a hole now and then."

"i am not getting on a high-horse. i don't care to lend you ten dollars, that's all."

"then make it five. i'll pay you back to-morrow evening, sure."

"dr. remington, i shall not lend you five cents. i understand you, and i have no use for you. now let me pass."

"you--you monkey!" hissed the irate doctor, and raised the cane he carried as if to strike robert on the head. but the steady gaze out of our hero's eyes disconcerted him, and lowering the stick he passed on, and was soon swallowed up in the crowd on the street.

robert found dick marden's room without trouble, and came upon the miner just as the latter was preparing to go away for the day.

"robert, my boy!" cried dick marden, as he shook our hero's hand warmly. "i was just wondering if you were in chicago or in england. you look well. how has it been with you?"

"all right, on the whole," answered the boy. "but i've had some strange adventures since i parted with you."

"tell me about them."

the two sat down and dick marden listened with deep interest to all robert had to relate.

"that frederic vernon is a bad one--a regular snake in the grass," he declared. "you want to beware of him."

"i intend to keep my eyes open."

"and you want to watch that remington, too. now mrs. vernon is back to chicago the pair may try to do her further injury."

"but remington says he doesn't know where vernon is."

"never mind, rogues always manage to get together again, no matter how they become separated, and they soon patch up their differences if there is any booty in sight. do you know what i think that lady ought to do?"

"what?"

"employ a detective as a sort of bodyguard. then if that nephew and the doctor try any underhanded work the detective can catch them red-handed."

"i will suggest that to mrs. vernon."

"i suppose you would like to know how matters are going on at timberville, michigan."

"i would."

"well, the news is first-rate. in the first place my uncle, felix amberton, is as well as ever again."

"i am very glad to hear that."

"in the second place his lawyers have made it so warm for those canadians and englishmen that were trying to defraud my uncle out of his timber lands, that the foreigners have given up the contest."

"they have left mr. amberton in sole possession of the lands?"

"exactly. that map you procured from old herman wenrich did the business."

"in that case i don't think mr. wenrich ought to be forgotten by your uncle."

"my uncle has sent herman wenrich his check for one thousand dollars."

"that's nice. i am certain it will help mr. wenrich and his daughter nettie a good deal, for they are not very well off."

"my uncle also thinks that you ought to be rewarded for your trouble," continued the miner. "he told me that as soon as you returned to america he was going to place a thousand dollars in the bank to your credit."

"a thousand dollars!" ejaculated robert. "what for?"

"for what you did for him."

"i didn't do so much."

"he thinks you did, and so do i. you had lots of trouble in getting that map, and lots of trouble in delivering it after you got it."

"but a thousand dollars!"

"my uncle can easily afford it, for the timber lands are worth fifty times that amount."

"i am getting rich," mused robert. "do you know how much mrs. vernon has given me?"

"i haven't the least idea."

"when we were in england she placed two thousand dollars in the bank to my credit. the money will be transferred to a chicago bank in a few days."

"that will make three thousand dollars. you are doing well, robert, but you deserve it. you have had no easy time of it, to defend mrs. vernon against that unscrupulous nephew of hers."

"i hardly think he will dare bother me again. he knows that i can have him locked up for the assault on me."

"what do you intend to do with your money?"

"i am going to let it rest in the bank for the present, until i see some good investment. i am adding a little to it every month from my salary."

"i am glad to see you haven't turned spendthrift, robert," said marden warmly. "many a young fellow would have his head turned by so much good fortune."

"well, i'll try to keep my head--and my money, too," rejoined the youth, with a laugh.

a pleasant talk lasting quarter of an hour followed, and then marden said he would have to go.

"but you must call on me again, robert," he said, as they parted. "remember, i consider you very largely my boy still."

"and you must call on me," added our hero warmly. "i am sure mrs. vernon will be pleased to have you do so."

"i am going up to timberville in a day or two, and i'll tell my uncle you are back. you will probably get a letter from him by the beginning of next week," concluded the miner.