taking the case seriously.

"Well, young man," said the justice to Jim, "what's your
explanation of this?"

"We'll waive examination," said Mr. Edwards, briefly.

The squire leaned back in his chair. "I suppose," he said, with
evident reluctance, "I shall have to hold him for the grand jury.
But I guess the safety of the community won't be greatly threatened
if I let him out on bail. I should think a couple of hundred would
do. I suppose there'll be no difficulty about the bond?"

The tone of the proceedings suited Mr. Peaslee well. In his
nervousness and abstraction he had backed up to the rusty, empty
iron stove at the end of the room, and stood there, with spread
coat-tails, listening intently. On hearing the amount of bail, he
gave a sigh of relief. His incautious offer had brought him no
dangerous risk.

Mr. Edwards, however, did not answer. Instead, consulting the
justice with a look, he turned and beckoned Jim to follow him into
the hall.

"James," he said, "this is the last chance I shall give you. If you
confess to me, I will see that you have proper bail. If you do not,
I shall let the law take its course. You may choose."

Jim was exasperated. If his father wished to be mean, let him _be_
mean; at least he might drop this farce, this irritating pretense.
He lost his temper.

"I don't care what you do!" he said fiercely. "Send me to jail if
you want to. I guess I can stand it!"

"Is that all you have to say?"

Jim replied with a rebellious glance.

"Very well," said his father. "Then we will go back." Once in the
room, he stepped to the squire's desk, and talked with him in low
tones.

Then the justice turned to Jim again, a new gravity in his jolly
face.

"Your father," he said, "refuses to go on your bond. Have you any
sureties of your own to offer?"

"No, sir," said Jim.

Mr. Peaslee was outraged. What kind of a father was this! He half
started forward to offer to be one of the two sureties which the law
required, but--no, he dare not. The second surety might prove to be
any sort of worthless fellow. But Jim in jail! He had not for a
moment dreamed of that. He was very indignant with Mr. Edwards.

Meanwhile, Jake Hibbard was studying Mr. Edwards's face with puzzled
attention. He had supposed that the lumber dealer, whom he knew to
be well-to-do, would have paid anything, signed any bond, to protect
his boy from jail. He was disconcerted. He drew his one hand across
his mouth nervous