any that night, for worrying. But
after a few days I saw that no one was going to suspect me, and after
that I got to feeling glad I did it. And I feel glad yet, Mary--glad
through and through."

"So do I, now, for it would have been a dreadful way to treat him. Yes,
I'm glad; for really you did owe him that, you know. But, Edward,
suppose it should come out yet, some day!"

"It won't."

"Why?"

"Because everybody thinks it was Goodson."

"Of course they would!"

"Certainly. And of course _he_ didn't care. They persuaded poor old
Sawlsberry to go and charge it on him, and he went blustering over there
and did it. Goodson looked him over, like as if he was hunting for a
place on him that he could despise the most; then he says, 'So you are
the Committee of Inquiry, are you?' Sawlsberry said that was about what
he was. 'H'm. Do they require particulars, or do you reckon a kind of a
_general_ answer will do?' 'If they require particulars, I will come
back, Mr. Goodson; I will take the general answer first.' 'Very well,
then, tell them to go to hell--I reckon that's general enough. And I'll
give you some advice, Sawlsberry; when you come back for the particulars,
fetch a basket to carry what is left of yourself home in.'"

"Just like Goodson; it's got all the marks. He had only one vanity; he
thought he could give advice better than any other person."

"It settled the business, and saved us, Mary. The subject was dropped."

"Bless you, I'm not doubting _that_."

Then they took up the gold-sack mystery again, with strong interest. Soon
the conversation began to suffer breaks--interruptions caused by absorbed
thinkings. The breaks grew more and more frequent. At last Richards
lost himself wholly in thought. He sat long, gazing vacantly at the
floor, and by-and-by he began to punctuate his thoughts with little
nervous movements of his hands that seemed to indicate vexation. Meantime
his wife too had relapsed into a thoughtful silence, and her movements
were beginning to show a troubled discomfort. Finally Richards got up
and strode aimlessly about the room, ploughing his hands through his
hair, much as a somnambulist might do who was having a bad dream. Then
he seemed to arrive at a definite purpose; and without a word he put on
his hat and passed quickly out of the house. His wife sat brooding, with
a drawn face, and did not seem to be aware that she was alone. Now and
then she murmured, "L