act. He ain't got any
compassion in him, seems though."

"It's a shame, a perfect shame!" exclaimed Nancy.

"'T ain't right," said Mr. Peaslee, with a warmth which surprised
the young woman, and made her warm to this old man, whom she had
always thought so selfish. "'T ain't right--your own flesh and blood
so."

"Well," said Miss Ware, "I'm going to the jail now. I want to see
Jimmie. It must be awful there."

"Well, now, that's real kind of ye," responded Mr. Peaslee. "I
wonder now if you'd mind taking this along to him," and he offered
her the paper parcel. "It's a harmonica, I guess they call it. It's
real handsome. It cost consid'able--a pretty consid'able sum. I feel
kinder sorry for the leetle feller, and I don't grudge it a mite."
And he kept repeating, in a tone which suggested whistling to keep
your courage up, "Not a mite, not a mite."

Miss Ware smothered a laugh on hearing what the present was. She
must not hurt the feelings of this kind old man!

"Oh," said the little hypocrite, "that's nice! Jimmie'll be so
pleased."

But perhaps the harmonica pleased Jim as much as the schoolbooks
which the school-teacher, with a solicitous eye on her pupil's
standing in his studies, was taking to him. Saying good-by to Mr.
Peaslee, Miss Ware, books and harmonica in hand, went on her way to
visit the afflicted boy in his dungeon. Meanwhile Jim, turning the
wringer for Mrs. Calkins, and listening to her stories of "Mark's"
prowess with all sorts of malefactors, was having an excellent time.
He had decided to be a sheriff when he grew up.

[Illustration: Cat curled up on floor.]

V

The day of the assembling of the grand jury for the September term
of the Adams County court finally dawned. How Mr. Peaslee had looked
forward to that day! How often had he pictured the scene--the bustle
about the court house; the agreeable crowd of black-coated lawyers,
with their clever talk, their good stories; the grave judge, and the
still graver side judges; the greetings and hand-shakings amid much
joking and laughter; the county gossip among the grand jurors in the
informal moments before they filed into the courtroom to be sworn
and to receive the judge's charge; himself, finally, in his best
black coat and cherished beaver hat, there in the midst of
it--important, weighty, respected, a public man!

He had cherished the vision of himself walking up the village street
on that first morning, a dignitary returning