"Oh, Louie," she cried, "it's terrible! They suspect him of stealing!
And he's discharged! Whatever are we to do?"

Lou raised her lovely face and forced a smile.

"Mother, dear," she said, "you know what a fellow Evan is. He doesn't
want us to know about it until the thing is straightened out. It must
straighten out, because we know he isn't guilty."

Such is a sister's logic. Mrs. Nelson telephoned her husband to come
up at once. He came, and was told the news.

"Good!" he said.

"Why, George, how can you say that? They've ruined our boy."

Mrs. Nelson was taking it badly.

"Tut tut," said her husband, kindly, "don't get all worked up about it.
He'll come around. There'll be an explanation from him some of these
days. Jerusalem! but I'm glad he's out of it. I knew he'd get a
lesson. Blast the banks!"

After this mild explosion Nelson walked to the water-pail and drank a
dipper of water.

"But what's he doing in Hamilton?" asked the mother.

"That's only a fifty-cent trip from Toronto," answered Nelson; "the lad
was probably over for a boat-ride."

"Well, what's he doing now?"

"I've got no more idea than you have, Carrie. But he won't do anything
desperate, be sure of that. If he gets down-and-out he knows we're
here."

At last Mrs. Nelson was consoled. She made her husband wire Evan at
Toronto to come home. The telegraph operator surmised enough from the
telegram to invent a story; it was supplemented by whisperings from Mt.
Alban; and eventually the town gabs were wondering where Evan could
have deposited the $50,000 he stole.

Besides the telegram, George Nelson sent a letter, telling his son not
to worry, and enclosing a cheque for fifty dollars. Frankie Arling, in
her little room at home, also wrote a letter:

"Dear Evan,--We have heard that you are out of the bank. I think you
were foolish to ever go into it. There are ridiculous rumors floating
around that you were dismissed on suspicion. I know they're not true,
and everybody else does; but still we are surprised you didn't write
home something about it.

"I don't suppose Hometon matters very much to you any more. The town
is not so dull as it used to be, though. There is a new bunch of
bankboys here, and we have plenty of good times. Mr. Perry rents a car
occasionally and gives us girls a ride. He surely is a good-hearted
chap. We all like him.

"You will be surprised when I tell you that he has proposed to m