tered Marty.

But Janice said nothing more. That Uncle Jason did not rush to
Nelson's relief as she would have done had it been in her power, was
not so strange. Janice was a singularly just girl.

The hurt was there, nevertheless. She could not help feeling keenly
the fact that everybody in Polktown did not respond at once to Nelson's
need.

That he should be accused of stealing the collection of coins was
preposterous indeed. Yet Janice was sensible enough to know that there
would be those in the village only too ready and willing to believe ill
of the young schoolmaster.

Nelson Haley's character was not wishy-washy. He had made everybody
respect him. His position as principal of the school gave him almost
as much importance in the community as the minister. But not all the
Polktown folk loved Nelson Haley. He had made enemies as well as
friends since coming to the lakeside town.

There were those who would seize upon this incident, no matter how
slightly the evidence might point to Nelson, and make "a mountain of a
molehill." Nelson was a poor young man. He had come to Polktown with
college debts to pay off out of his salary. To those who were not
intimately acquainted with the school-teacher's character, it would not
seem such an impossibility that he should yield to temptation where
money was concerned.

But to Janice the thought was not only abhorrent, it was ridiculous.
She would have believed herself capable of stealing quite as soon as
she would have believed the accusation against Nelson.

Yet she could not blame Uncle Jason for his calm attitude in this
event. It was his nature to be moderate and careful. She did not
scold like Aunt 'Mira, nor mutter and glare like Marty. She could not,
however, eat any dinner.

It was nerve-racking to sit there, playing with her fork, awaiting
Uncle Jason's pleasure. Janice's eyes were tearless. She had learned
ere this, in the school of hard usage, to control her emotions. Not
many girls of her age could have set off finally with Mr. Day for the
town with so quiet a mien. For she insisted upon accompanying her
uncle on this quest. She felt that she could not remain quietly at
home and wait upon his leisurely report of the situation.

First of all they learned that no attempt had been made as yet to
curtail the young schoolmaster's liberty; otherwise the situation was
quite as bad as Marty had so eagerly reported.

The collection of gold coin