t he is guiltless and
that all his friends should show him at once that they believe in him."

"Hoity-toity! Mebbe so," said the woman, tartly. "Them Days never did
have right good sense--yer uncle an' aunt, I mean. When _I_ was a gal
we wouldn't have been allowed to have so much freedom where the young
fellers was consarned."

Janice was quite used to Mrs. Scattergood's sharp tongue; but it was
hard to bear her strictures on this occasion.

"I hope it is not wrong for me to show my friend that I trust and
believe in him," she said firmly, and nodding good-bye, turned abruptly
away.

Of herself, or of what the neighbors thought of her conduct, Janice Day
thought but little. She went on to Mrs. Beaseley's cottage, solely
anxious on Nelson's account.

She found the widow in tears, for selfishly immured as Mrs. Beaseley
was in her ten-year-old grief over the loss of her "sainted Charles,"
she was a dear, soft-hearted woman and had come to look upon Nelson
Haley almost as her son.

"Oh, Janice Day! what ever are we going to do for him?" was her
greeting, the moment the girl entered the kitchen. "If my poor, dear
Charles were alive I know he would be furiously angry with Mr. Cross
Moore and those other men. Oh! I cannot bear to think of how angry he
would be, for Charles had a very stern temper.

"And Mr. Haley is such a pleasant young man. As I tell 'em all, a
nicer and quieter person never lived in any lone female's house. And
to think of their saying such dreadful things about him! I am sure _I_
never thought of locking anything away from Mr. Haley in this
house--and there's the 'leven sterling silver teaspoons that belonged
to poor, dear Charles' mother, and the gold-lined sugar-basin that was
my Aunt Abby's, and the sugar tongs--although they're bent some.

"Why! Mr. Haley is jest one of the nicest young gentlemen that ever
was. And here he comes home, pale as death, and won't eat no dinner.
Janice, think of it! I allus have said, and I stick to it, that if one
can eat they'll be all right. My sainted Charles," she added, stating
for the thousandth time an uncontrovertible fact, "would be alive to
this day if he had continued to eat his victuals!"

"I'd like to speak to Mr. Haley," Janice said, finally "getting a word
in edgewise."

"Of course. Maybe he'll let you in," said the widow. "He won't me,
but I think he favors you, Janice," she added innocently, shaking her
head with a continued mo