"I
must be back in the city before the C. P. R. leaves."

"May I stay with Lois?" Margaret asked.

"Why yes, if you will not be in the way."

"She must stay," Lois replied. "I could not get along without her now.
You will keep us informed, I hope, of how you make out."

"Yes, I shall write to-night, and if anything of great importance turns
up I shall let you know at once."

CHAPTER XXXII

THE TABLES TURNED

The agony of mind that Jasper suffered in leaving his cabin and meeting
the people of Creekdale on their return from old David's funeral was
only a part of the trial he endured on his journey to the county jail.
On the wharf, while waiting for the arrival of the steamer, he was
subjected to the pitiless stares and gibes of men, women and children.
News of the arrest had spread from house to house, and people had
flocked to the wharf to have a last look upon the suspected man.
Jasper stood with his face to the river watching the steamer off in the
distance, which was rapidly approaching. The actions of the crowd
disgusted him. There was not one friendly voice lifted up on his
behalf. Jim Goban strutted up and down keeping close watch upon his
prisoner, and gloating over his task. He was having his revenge now
for the blows he had received on the day of David's release.

When once on the steamer Jasper believed that he would be free from all
curious eyes. In this, however, he was mistaken. There were many on
board and all soon learned that the "terrible murderer" was in their
midst. Jasper was kept down below near the engine room and it was
remarkable how most of the people on that boat found it necessary to
pass him quite often. He could hear some of their comments as they
moved away.

"What a bad face he has," a woman remarked.

"Yes," her companion replied, "he surely does look like a desperate
character. Wasn't it awful for him to kill that poor old man?"

Jasper's face was really hard and stern; how could it have been
otherwise? Where was all their Christian charity? he asked himself.
Where was the spirit of justice? Those people knew that he had not yet
received a fair trial, and why were they so willing and eager to
believe him guilty?

Old Simon Squabbles was on board, and though he said nothing to Jasper,
he expressed his views to several men a short distance away.

"It's nothin' more than I expected," he boasted. "I knew he would soon
reach the end of his tether after th