it trouble you at all.
I think just as much of him, far's I know, as ever I did. The
crime--if crime _you_ would call it, is this: he came to our store to
trade out a due-bill, as I said, and after he had gone, we missed a
pocket-handkerchief."

"He or some one else may have taken it by mistake," interrupted Mrs.
Fabens, rocking her chair in agitation.

"That is very likely, as I told Fairbanks," said Frisbie. "And it is
best for us to think so. We had better judge ten guilty persons
innocent, than condemn one innocent man. It was a _silk_
pocket-handkerchief; and as it lay on the counter just before he left,
Fairbanks thought Ludlow must have taken it; and following him over to
the tailor's shop, where he left his bundle, I opened it, and found a
handkerchief, just like ours, wadded up and tucked into one end of the
wrapping paper. _Little_ things sometimes indicate more than we wish
to believe. But then he looked a little honest, when he came in, and
said he knew not how on earth it got there."

"I don't believe he did know," said Fabens. "How easy it would have
been for you; or whoever put up the goods, to have put that in by
mistake."

"Just so I told Fairbanks," said Frisbie; "and it must have got there
in some such way. It was crumpled up so, my first thought was that it
was tucked in by stealth. I inquired of our new customer, Captain
Troffater--I believe they call him Captain, I very confidentially named
the circumstance to him, and he said it _might_ be a mistake of ours;
but he did not know about it, and it was best for merchants to keep a
sharp lookout, when they did not know who was in their store. But
there, as--"

"I will not believe George stole it," interrupted Fabens earnestly.
"He is incapable of such an act; and it is much more reasonable to
believe it was done up by mistake."

"I have brought home things several times in that way, and nobody
suspected _I_ meant to steal," said Mrs. Fabens. "The clerks confessed
their hurry, and their liability to make mistakes, when I returned
them."

"We do make such mistakes too often, as I told Fairbanks; and it must
be he took it in that way," concluded Frisbie. "At any rate, I had
rather believe so, and have you _all_ believe so, than believe him
guilty. I am sure I would not harm the fellow; and I would not weaken
your confidence in him. I am always so grieved myself to know that a
person is not as good as I believed him to be, I would