it was eight o'clock the next morning beforefrank's breakfast was brought to him.

``i am sorry you have had to wait,'' the housekeepersaid, as she appeared at the door with a cupof coffee and a plate of beefsteak and toast, ``icouldn't come up before.''

``have the men gone away?'' said frank.

``yes.''

``then i have something to tell you. i learnedsomething about myself last night. i was in thecloset, and heard the man who brought me here talkingto another person. may i tell you the story?''

``if you think it will do any good,'' said thehousekeeper, but i can't help you if that is what you want.''

he told the whole story. as he proceeded, thehousekeeper betrayed increased, almost eager interest,and from time to time asked him questions inparticular as to the personal appearance of johnwade. when frank had described him as well ashe could, she said, in an excited manner:

``yes, it is--it must be the same man.''

``the same man!'' repeated our hero, in surprise.

``do you know anything about him?''

``i know that he is a wicked man. i am afraidthat i have helped him carry out his wicked plan,but i did not know it at the time, or i never wouldhave given my consent.''

``i don't understand you,'' said our hero, puzzled.

``will you tell me what you mean?''

``fourteen years ago i was very poor--poor andsick besides. my husband had died, leaving me nothingbut the care of a young infant, whom it wasnecessary for me to support besides myself.

enfeebled by sickness, i was able to earn but little,but we lived in a wretched room in a crowdedtenement house. my infant boy was taken sick and died.

as i sat sorrowfully beside the bed on which he laydead, i heard a knock at the door. i opened it, andadmitted a man whom i afterward learned to bejohn wade. he very soon explained his errand. heagreed to take my poor boy, and pay all the expensesof his burial in greenwood cemetery, provided iwould not object to any of his arrangements. hewas willing besides to pay me two hundred dollarsfor the relief of my necessities. though i wasalmost beside myself with grief for my child's loss,and though this was a very favorable proposal, ihesitated. i could not understand why a strangershould make me such an offer. i asked him the reason.''

`` `you ask too much,' he answered, appearingannoyed. `i have made you a fair offer. will you acceptit, or will you leave your child to have a pauper'sfuneral?'

``that consideration decided me. for my child'ssake i agreed to his proposal, and forebore to questionhim further. he provided a handsome rosewoodcasket for my dear child, but upon the silverplate was inscribed a name that was strange to me--the name of francis wharton.''

``francis wharton!'' exclaimed frank.

``i was too weak and sorrowful to makeopposition, and my baby was buried as francis wharton.

not only this, but a monument is erected over himat greenwood, which bears this name.''

she proceeded after a pause:

``i did not then understand his object. your storymakes it clear. i think that you are that franciswharton, under whose name my boy was buried.''

``how strange!'' said frank, thoughtfully. ``icannot realize it. but how did you know the name ofthe man who called upon you?''

``a card slipped from his pocket, which i securedwithout his knowledge.''

``how fortunate that i met you,'' said frank. ``imean to let mr. wharton know all that i havelearned, and then he shall decide whether he willrecognize me or not as his grandson.''

``i have been the means of helping to deprive youof your just rights, though unconsciously. now thati know the wicked conspiracy in which i assisted, iwill help undo the work.''

``thank you,'' said frank. ``the first thing is toget out of this place.''

``i cannot open the door of your room. they donot trust me with the key.''

``the windows are not very high from the ground.

i can get down from the outside.''

``i will bring you a clothesline and a hatchet.''

frank received them with exultation.

``before i attempt to escape,'' he said, ``tell mewhere i can meet you in new york. i want you togo with me to mr. wharton's. i shall need you toconfirm my story.''

``i will meet you to-morrow at no. 15 b--street.''

``then we shall meet to-morrow. what shall icall your name?''

``mrs. parker.''

``thank you. i will get away as quickly aspossible, and when we are in the city we will talk overour future plans.''

with the help of the hatchet, frank soon demolishedthe lower part of the window. fastening therope to the bedstead, he got out of the window andsafely descended to the ground.

a long and fatiguing walk lay before him. butat last he reached the cars, and half an hour laterthe ferry at jersey city.

frank thought himself out of danger for the timebeing, but he was mistaken.

standing on the deck of the ferryboat, and lookingback to the pier from which he had just started, hemet the glance of a man who had intended to takethe same boat, but had reached the pier just toolate. his heart beat quicker when he recognized inthe belated passenger his late jailer, nathan graves.

carried away by his rage and disappointment,nathan graves clenched his fist and shook it at hisreceding victim.

our hero walked into the cabin. he wanted achance to deliberate. he knew that nathan graveswould follow him by the next boat, and it wasimportant that he should not find him. where was heto go?

fifteen minutes after frank set foot on the pier,his enemy also landed. but now the difficult partof the pursuit began. he had absolutely no clew asto the direction which frank had taken.

for an hour and a half he walked the streets inthe immediate neighborhood of the square, but hislabor was without reward. not a glimpse could hecatch of his late prisoner.

``i suppose i must go to see mr. wade,'' he at lastreluctantly decided. ``he may be angry, but he can'tblame me. i did my best. i couldn't stand guardover the young rascal all day.''

the address which the housekeeper had givenfrank was that of a policeman's family in whichshe was at one time a boarder. on giving his reference,he was hospitably received, and succeeded inmaking arrangements for a temporary residence.

about seven o'clock mrs. parker made herappearance. she wag fatigued by her journey and glad torest.

``i was afraid you might be prevented fromcoming,'' said frank.

``i feared it also. i was about to start at twelveo'clock, when, to my dismay, one of the men camehome. he said he had the headache. i was obligedto make him some tea and toast. he remained abouttill four o'clock, when, to my relief, he went upstairsto lie down. i was afraid some inquiry might bemade about you, and your absence discovered, especiallyas the rope was still hanging out of the window,and i was unable to do anything more than cutoff the lower end of it. when the sick man retired tohis bed i instantly left the house, fearing that thereturn of some other of the band might prevent myescaping altogether.''

``suppose you had met one of them, mrs. parker?''

``i did. it was about half a mile from the house.''

``did he recognize you?''

``yes. he asked in some surprise where i wasgoing. i was obliged to make up a story about ourbeing out of sugar. he accepted it without suspicion,and i kept on. i hope i shall be forgivenfor the lie. i was forced to it.''

``you met no further trouble?''

``no.''

``i must tell you of my adventure,'' said frank.

``i came across the very man whom i most dreaded--the man who made me a prisoner.''

``since he knows that you have escaped, he isprobably on your track,'' said mrs. parker. ``it willbe hardly safe for you to go to mr. wharton's.''

``why?''

``he will probably think you likely to go there, andbe lying in wait somewhere about.''

``but i must go to mr. wharton,'' said frank. ``imust tell him this story.''

``it will be safer to write.''

``the housekeeper, mrs. bradley, or john wade,will get hold of the letter and suppress it. i don'twant to put them on their guard.''

``you are right. it is necessary to be cautious.''

``you see i am obliged to call on my grandfather,that is, on mr. wharton.''

``i can think of a better plan.''

``what is it?''

``go to a respectable lawyer. tell him your story,and place your case in his hands. he will write toyour grandfather, inviting him to call at his officeon business of importance, without letting him knowwhat is the nature of it. you and i can be there tomeet him, and tell our story. in this way john wadewill know nothing, and learn nothing, of your movements.''

``that is good advice, mrs. parker, but there isone thing you have not thought of,'' said our hero.

``what is that?''

``lawyers charge a great deal for their services,and i have no money.''

``you have what is as good a recommendation--agood case. the lawyer will see at once that if not atpresent rich, you stand a good chance of obtaininga position which will make you so. besides, yourgrandfather will be willing, if he admits your claim,to recompense the lawyer handsomely.''

``i did not think of that. i will do as you adviseto-morrow.''