chance for him to get at the
coins. He was with the committee all the time they was out of the
room."

"And are they sure Mr. Haley was in there?" asked Aunt 'Mira.

"He admits it," Marty said gloomily. "I don't know what's going to
come of it all----"

"Hush!" said Uncle Jason suddenly. "Shut that door."

But it was too late, Janice had heard all. She came down into the
kitchen, pale-faced and with eyes that blazed with indignation. She
had not removed her hat.

"Come, Uncle Jason," she said, brokenly. "I want you to go downtown
with me. If Nelson is in trouble we must help him."

"Drat that boy!" growled Uncle Jason, scowling at Marty. "He's a
reg'lar big mouth! He has to tell ev'rything he knows all over the
shop."

CHAPTER VIII

REAL TROUBLE

It seemed to Janice Day as though the drift of trouble, which had set
her way with the announcement by her father of his unfortunate
situation among the Yaqui Indians, had now risen to an overwhelming
height.

'Rill's secret misgivings regarding Hopewell Drugg, little Lottie's
peril of blindness, the general tendency of Polktown as a whole to
suffer the bad effects of liquor selling at the tavern--all these
things had added to Janice's anxiety.

Now, on the crest of the threatening wave, rode this happening to
Nelson Haley, an account of which Marty had brought home.

"Come, Uncle Jason," she said again to Mr. Day. "You must come with
me. If Nelson is arrested and taken before Justice Little, the justice
will listen to _you_. You are a property owner. If they put Nelson
under bail----"

"Hold your hosses," interrupted Uncle Jason, yet not unkindly. "Noah
didn't build the ark in a day. We'd best go slow about this."

"Slow!" repeated Janice.

"I guess you wouldn't talk about bein' slow, Jason Day, if _you_ was
arrested," Aunt 'Mira interjected.

"Ma's right," said Marty. "Mebbe they'll put him in the cell under the
Town Hall 'fore you kin get downtown."

"There ain't no sech haste as all that," stated Uncle Jason. "What's
the matter of you folks?"

He spoke rather testily, and Janice looked at him in surprise. "Why,
Uncle!" she cried, "what do you mean? It's Nelson Haley who is in
trouble."

"I mean to eat my dinner fust of all," said her uncle firmly. "And so
had you better, my gal. A man can't be expected to go right away to
court an' put up every dollar he's got in the world for bail, until
he's thought it over a little,