s she sat rubbing her hand over her poor little
head in a nervous manner; although beyond this, and the stare with
which she regarded the combatants, she showed no trace of interest in
the affair, never once opening her lips.

"So!" said the florist, holding out the bill at arm's length,--"so! How
is dis? You put Matty's head to de schissors, an' take him all off, und
you shteal den her monish. De peanuts is a pad pisness; but dis is so
much vorse as it goes to de prison. Tell me, Tony, how is dis?"

"I didn't steal it, he gave it to me; and I didn't touch Matty's hair,"
panted the prostrate Theodore. "He--he--he wanted me to do something
for him, and he said he would give me that if I did it. Oh! let me up!"

"Hole your mout, and shpeak ven you is shpoken mit," said Johnny.
"Tony, shpeak an' tell me. How vas it? You is cut off Matty's head; you
is got de monish, five tollars, vat I tells you he is vort; now tell me
what for you gifs dis five tollars to dis pad poy, a poy so vorse as I
do not know. I _vill_ haf you tell me; if no, I calls de police."

There was no escape; on all hands Tony saw visions of the police, who
would soon ferret out the whole matter, away back to Miss Amy and Jim
(so Tony thought); and he found it best to throw himself and all
concerned on the mercy of his old friend, and make a full confession.

As he told the shameful story of how Theodore had threatened to tell
Jim's "secret," and to let the police know of the "poisoning" unless
somebody paid him five dollars to keep it quiet; of the confirmation he
had himself received from Jim's manner and words when he asked him
about it; of how he and Matty had resolved to save their friends by the
sacrifice of the hair which Johnny himself had often told them was
worth so much money; of how they had gone to the barber's, and sold the
hair; and lastly, how he, seeing Theodore on the opposite side of the
street, had hurried over to bribe him with the five dollars to hold his
peace, and how Theodore had accepted the price,--the kind-hearted
florist waxed more and more angry; and when he rose, and once more
hauled the boy to his feet, it was only to seize a cane, and administer
such a chastisement as the culprit had seldom or never received.

Theodore made little or no outcry, however, for he was afraid of
attracting attention from without, and perhaps himself falling into the
hands of the law; for he did not know, if his deeds were once made
public, h