t it was over, and the excitement was beginning to cool down,
the minister began to feel a little natural anger at the perpetrator
of the "Joke." His best trousers were spoiled, and the donation
supper had been thrown into confusion.

"Who did it?" was the question asked on every side.

The boys came slowly down from the gallery and mingled unnoticed
with the throng. Bob was a little worried. He had not meant to
humiliate the minister, but had counted on Captain Spark getting
stuck to the chair. The captain, he knew, would make light of the
prank. But it was no small matter to have done this thing to the
clergyman.

"Going to supper?" asked Ted of Bob.

"No. I don't feel like eating. Guess I'll go home."

But Bob's plan was frustrated. His mother, who had been looking for
her son, caught sight of him.

"Oh, Bob!" she exclaimed. "I hope none of the boys that you go with
played that horrid trick on the minister! It was a very mean thing
to do! But you had better have your supper. The table will soon be
ready again."

Bob did not have much appetite. He was afraid of being discovered.

The chair, with the glue on it, had been taken to the cellar, and
the minister had gone home to change his trousers. Captain Spark,
who had begun to turn certain things over in his mind, approached
Bob. He had a sharp eye, had the mariner, and, in looking closely
at his relative's son, he saw a bit of evidence that Bob had not
counted on. This was nothing more nor less than a big spot of glue
on the lad's coat sleeve.

"What's this?" asked the seaman, pointing to the sticky place.

"I don't know. Glue--I guess," replied Bob, turning pale.

"Glue, eh? Seems to be about as sticky as that on the minister's
chair."

At the mention of glue several persons about Bob and the captain
looked curiously at them. Mrs. Henderson, who was just then
passing, carrying a big platter of baked beans, stopped to listen to
what the seaman was saying.

"Yes, it's glue," remarked the mariner. "Just like that on the
chair. Bob," he asked suddenly, "did you put that glue there?"

Now, with all his faults, Bob would never tell a lie. He regarded
that as cowardly, and he was always willing to take whatever
punishment was coming to him for his "jokes."

"Yes, captain," he said in a low voice. "I did it."

"Ha! I thought so."

"Bob Henderson!" exclaimed his mother, her face flushing red with
mortification. "Did you play that