dly confessed.

"Yes, Mrs. Scattergood, I have heard about it. And I think Mr. Cross
Moore and those others ought to be ashamed of themselves--letting
people think for a moment that Mr. Haley took those coins."

"Who _did_ take 'em?" asked the woman, eagerly. "Have they found out?"

"Why, nobody but the person who really is the thief knows who stole the
coins; but of course everybody who knows Nelson at all, is sure that it
was not Mr. Haley."

"Wal--they gotter lay it to somebody," Mrs. Scattergood said, rather
doubtfully. "That's the best them useless men could do," she added,
with that birdlike toss of the head that was so familiar to Janice.

"If there'd been a woman around, they'd laid it on to her. Oh! I know
'em all--the hull kit an' bilin' of 'em."

Janice tried to smile at this; but the woman's beadlike eyes seemed to
be boring with their glance right through the girl and this made her
extremely uncomfortable.

"I expect you feel pretty bad, Janice Day," went on Mrs. Scattergood.
"But it's allus the way. You'll find as you grow older that there
ain't much in this world for females, young or old, but trouble."

"Why, Mrs. Scattergood!" cried the girl, and this time she did call up
a merry look. "What have you to trouble you? You have the nicest time
of any person I know--unless it is Mrs. Marvin Petrie. No family to
trouble you; enough to live on comfortably; nothing to do but go
visiting--or stay at home if you'd rather----"

"Tut, tut, tut, child! All is not gold that glitters," was the quick
reply. "I ain't so happy as ye may think. I have my troubles. But,
thanks be! they ain't abeout men. But you've begun yours, I kin see."

"Yes, I am troubled because Mr. Haley is falsely accused," admitted
Janice, stoutly.

"Wal--yes. I expect you air. And if it ain't no worse than you
believe--Wal! I said you was a new-fashioned gal when I fust set eyes
on you that day comin' up from the Landing in the old _Constance
Colfax_; and you be."

"How am I different from other girls?" asked Janice, curiously.

"Wal! Most gals would wait till they was sure the young man wasn't
goin' to be arrested before they ran right off to see him. But mebbe
it's because you ain't got your own mother and father to tell ye
diff'rent."

Janice flushed deeply at this and her eyes sparkled.

"I am sure Aunt 'Mira and Uncle Jason would have told me not to call on
Nelson if they did not believe just as I do--tha