d I'd fix hit so's he couldn't never have
her nohow, so I--I--done told pap 'bout him bein' Brian Kent what
had robbed that there bank, an' how there was er lot of reward-money
a-waitin' for anybody that'd tell on him."

Auntie Sue was too shocked to speak. Was it possible that, now, when the
real Brian Kent was so far removed from the wretched bank clerk; when
his fine natural character and genius had become so established, and his
book was--No, no! It could not be! God could not let men be so cruel as
to send Auntie Sue's Brian Kent to prison because that other Brian Kent,
tormented by wrong environment, and driven by an evil combination of
circumstances, had taken a few dollars of the bank's money! And Betty
Jo--No, no! Auntie Sue's heart cried out in protest. There must be some
way. She would find some way. The banker--Homer Ward! Auntie Sue's mind,
alert and vigorous as the mind of a woman of half her years, caught at
the thought of her old friend and pupil. She leaned forward in her chair
over the girl who sat on the floor at her feet, and her voice was strong
and clear with the strength of the spirit which dominated her frail
body.

"Judy, did you tell any one else besides your father?"

"There wasn't nobody else ter tell," came the answer. "An' pap, he
'lowed he'd kill me if I said anythin' ter anybody 'fore he'd got the
money. He aims ter git hit all for hisself."

"What will he do? Will he go to Sheriff Knox?"

"No, ma'm; pap, he 'lowed if he done that a-way, the Sheriff he'd
take most of the money. Pap's a-goin' right ter that there bank feller
hisself."

"Yes, yes! Go on, Judy!"

"You see, ma'm, I done remembered the name of the bank an' where hit was
an' Mr. Ward's name an' all, on 'count of that there money letter what
you done sent 'em an' us bein' so worried 'bout hit never gittin' there
an' all that. An' pap, he knows er man over in Gardner what's on the
railroad, you see, what'll let him have money enough for the trip,--a
licker-man, he is,--an' pap's aimin' ter make hit over ter Gardner ter
git the money in time ter ketch that there early mornin' train. Hit's a
right smart way over the mountains, but I reckon's how pap'll make
hit. Soon's pap left, I got ter thinkin' what I'd done, an' the more
I studied 'bout hit,--'bout Mr. Burns a-havin' ter go ter prison, an'
'bout you-all a-carin' for him the way you does, an' 'bout how happy you
was over his book, an'--an'--how good you'd been ter me,--t