s to prove his own innocence. I wish he could, indeed I do. My
heart feels very heavy these days, for I was beginning to have some
faith in boys. But say no more. If you are going, Fred, please come
into the other room with me. I want to show you a splendid specimen of
a saw, taken from a sawfish down in the West Indies, and sent to me. It
is more than three feet long. You will be interested, because nearly
all boys like everything pertaining to fishing."

So Fred followed her across the wide hall. She opened the door of the
parlor, in which he remembered he had been on that former visit, at the
time she showed him the little bowl containing the opals, and other
valuable curios.

After opening the door Miss Muster passed in, Fred followed, but
remained a respectful distance behind her, a fact for which he
afterwards had reason to be thankful.

Some sudden notion seemed to take possession of the old lady for
quickly crossing over she took down the little Japanese bowl, as if to
count the opals remaining. Fred heard her give a startled cry. Then she
hastily looked again, after which she set the bowl down on a table with
a hand that trembled violently, and turning angrily upon Fred, she
cried in her sharpest tones:

"He sent you here to follow up his miserable trick! All boys are
thieves, and in spite of the lovely little mother you have, Fred
Fenton, you are as bad as the rest of them!"

Fred could hardly believe his ears when thus accused. He stood there
for several seconds, no doubt turning red and white by turns, as he
tried to restrain the indignation that swept over him like a great
wave.

CHAPTER XV

FRED'S BRAVE STAND

"Excuse me, ma'am, but surely you do not believe that," Fred managed to
say in another minute; and his voice may have trembled a little with
emotion; though his manner was as frank and fearless as ever, as he
looked straight into the snappy black eyes of the angry old lady.

"Three more of the gems are gone, and they were here this morning,
because I took them out in my hand, and counted them," she declared,
furiously; yet beginning to feel uncomfortable under his steady look.

"But why should you even think that I took them, Miss Muster?" he
demanded.

"Because--you are the only person besides myself who has been in this
room the entire day. Mammy has been sick in bed since nine o'clock; and
Jake Stall did not put a foot inside the house to my personal
knowledge," but although