as to whether Squire Parsons remained in office or not. His
coolness proved too much for the shoemaker, whose greed had been greatly
excited. He leaped to his feet and held up his right hand.

"I'll do it. I swear I will."

"Sit down, Jim, and keep cool. This is to be a bargain, and bargains
made in cold blood are surest kept."

Jim resumed his seat and stared in amazement at Gill, who, sure of his
man, seemed to take interest only in the shoe-strings he held before
him.

"Guess I'll send these to Squire Parsons with your compliments, Jim, as
a hint that we'll string him up."

A poor attempt at wit, but it had the desired effect, and Jim was soon
as calm as Gill could desire. Then he threw the shoe-strings away and
proceeded to business.

"I mean to elect you Justice of the Peace, Jim. That office will
materially increase your income. In return for my exertions in your
behalf, I expect you to marry me. You will be elected on Tuesday. On
Wednesday night you will meet me at the church and unite me to the woman
of my choice. I will pay you a fee and, besides, will bet you twenty
dollars in gold that you will be the first to tell of a marriage which
for good reasons my intended wife and I desire to be kept secret for
some time."

Jim rose, delighted that the favor asked of him would be so easily
granted.

"Say, Gill, thet's all right; yer needn't make the bet. Yer jist 'lect
me squire, an' I'll marry yer fer nuthin' and never tell a soul."

"But I think I'll win, that's why I want to bet."

"Well, then, I'll jist take yer up."

"All right; it's a wager."

His business completed, Gill returned to the store.

* * * * *

Squire Parsons was defeated by two votes, and great was the astonishment
in Three-Sisters, where everybody believed that John Gillfillan, clerk
of the election, was a surety against fraud.

But Gill gave little thought to the deceit that had placed Jim Harker in
the office of Justice of the Peace, for he had a weightier matter on his
mind--theft. For more than two years he had been stealing systematically
from the cash-box, and protected himself from discovery by false entries
in the books. The money thus obtained he had lost at the gaming-table
during his semi-annual visits to the city for the purpose of buying
goods. As soon as he got back to the store he began thieving again in
small amounts, in order to accumulate capital for another venture when
he next v