this moment David announced the milkman. Counselling my man to keep
strict guard over the prisoners, I went out to the road, stopped the
milkman, and gave him a message which I was certain would insure the
prompt arrival at my house of sufficient force to take safe charge of
the burglars. Excited with the importance of the commission, he whipped
up his horse and dashed away.

When I returned to the house I besought my wife and Aunt Martha to go to
bed, that they might yet get some hours of sleep; but both refused. They
did not feel in the least like sleep, and there was a subject on which
they wished to consult with me in the dining-room.

"Now," said Aunt Martha, when the door had been closed, "these men have
freely told us their stories; whether they are entirely true or not,
must, of course, be a matter of opinion; but they have laid their cases
before us, and we should not place them all in the hands of the officers
of the law without giving them due consideration, and arriving at a
decision which shall be satisfactory to ourselves."

"Let us take them in order," said I. "What do you think of the tall
man's case?"

"I think he is a thief and manufacturer of falsehoods," said my wife
promptly.

"I am afraid," said Aunt Martha, "that he is not altogether innocent;
but there is one thing greatly in his favour,--when he told of the
feelings which overcame him when he saw that little child sleeping
peacefully in its bed in the house which he had unintentionally robbed,
I felt there must be good points in that man's nature. What do you think
of him?"

"I think he is worst of the lot," I answered, "and as there are now two
votes against him, he must go to the lock-up. And now what of the stout
fellow?" I asked.

"Oh, he is a burglar by his own confession," said my wife; "there can be
no doubt of that."

"I am afraid you are right," said Aunt Martha.

"I know she is," said I, "and James Barlow, or whatever his name may be,
shall be delivered to the constable."

"Of course, there can be no difference of opinion in regard to the young
man," said Aunt Martha quickly. "Both the others admitted that he had
nothing to do with this affair except as a journalist, and although I do
not think he ought to get his realistic ideas in that way, I would
consider it positively wicked to send him into court in company with
those other men. Consider the position in which he would be placed
before the world. Consider his young w