my father's name
written in forty places in it, wherever there was a page or part of a
page not printed on, just as Harvey Barth says in his diary. I don't
believe there is any mistake about that."

"But the writer of this journal appears to have been considerably
exercised about the passenger's change of name," said Mr. Hamilton,
before the landlord had an opportunity to explain why he doubted the
truth of the statement in regard to the Bible. "Harvey Barth hoped Mr.
Wallbridge had not done anything wrong."

"He hadn't done anything wrong," protested Stumpy, warmly.

"Why should he change his name, then?" asked the ex-congressman. "For
the fact that he did so appears to be well established."

"There was a reason for it," replied the landlord, "though as Stumpy
says, Joel Wormbury had done nothing wrong. Joel was attacked by a man
in liquor, and in self-defence he struck the assailant on the head with
a bottle, and supposed that he had killed him. He left Rockhaven in a
great hurry, in order to escape the consequences. He did not even go to
his house before he left town, afraid, perhaps, of finding a constable
there waiting for him. He went off in such a hurry, that I don't believe
he thought to take his Bible with him."

The landlord bestowed a smiling glance upon Stumpy, satisfied that he
had as completely demolished the Bible argument as though he had been a
practised theologian.

"If my mother was only here, she could tell you all about that," said
Stumpy.

"Do you think he went home for the Bible before he left?" asked Mr.
Bennington.

"I know he didn't."

"Where did he get the Bible, then?" asked the landlord.

"I'll tell you; and I won't say a word that I can't prove," replied
Stumpy, warmly.

"You are not among enemies, or those who are at all inclined to doubt
your word, young man," added Mr. Hamilton.

"I'll tell you about it, then; but I wish my mother was here, with the
letters my father wrote to her."

"We are willing to believe all you say, Stumpy," said the landlord.

"You thought that what I said would not hold water, just now."

"But I explained why I thought so."

"And the doubt was certainly a reasonable one," added the merchant; "now
we only wait for you to remove it."

"I will do that and I can prove all I say by my father's last letter to
my mother, which is post-marked at Gloucester, Mass., in which he told
all about the fight, and gave the reasons why he cleared out."

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