e mornin'.

"He got drunk," pursued Narnay. "He didn't go home all night. Early
in the mornin' he woke up in a shed, and went back to town. It was so
early that little Benny Thread (that's Jack's brother-in-law) was just
goin' into the basement door of the schoolhouse to 'tend to his fire.

"Jack says he slipped in behind him and hid upstairs in a clothes
closet. He thought he'd maybe break open the teacher's desk and see if
there wasn't some money in it, if he didn't git a chance at them coins.
But that was too easy. The committee left the coins right out open in
the committee room, and Jack grabbed up the trays, took 'em to the
clothes room, and emptied them into the linin' of his coat, and into
his pants' pockets. They was a load!

"So, after the teacher come into the buildin' and went out again, Jack
put back the trays, slipped downstairs, dodged Benny and the four
others, and went out at the basement door. Benny's always swore that
door was locked; but it's only a spring lock and easy enough opened
from inside.

"That--that's all, I guess," added Narnay, in a shamefaced way. "Jack
backed that load of gold coin clean out to our camp. And he hid 'em
all b'fore we ever suspected he had money. We don't know now where his
_cache_ is----"

"Oh, Nelson!" burst out Janice, seizing both the schoolmaster's hands.
"The truth at last!"

"Ye--ye've been so good to us, Miss Janice," blubbered Narnay, "I
couldn't bear to see the young man in trouble no longer--and you
thinkin' as much as you do of him----"

"If I have done anything at all for you or yours, Mr. Narnay," sobbed
Janice, "you have more than repaid me--over and over again you have
repaid me! Do stay here with your wife and the children. I am going
to send Mr. Middler right down. Let's drive on, Nelson."

The teacher started the car. "And to think," he said softly when the
Kremlin had climbed the hill and struck smoother going, "that I have
been opposed to your doing anything for these Narnays all the time,
Janice. Yet because _you_ were kind, _I_ am saved! It--it is
wonderful!"

"Oh, no, Nelson. It is only what might have been expected," said
Janice, softly.

CHAPTER XXX

MARM PARRADAY DOES HER DUTY

It was on the day following the burial of the Narnay baby that the
mystery surrounding Mr. Broxton Day's situation in Mexico was quite
cleared up, and much to his daughter's satisfaction. Quite a packet of
letters arrived for Janic