nce, and saved all this bother? The more he thought, the more
indignant he grew--and the more doubtful. He did not notice at all
the look of timid gratitude which Mr. Peaslee cast in his direction.

"Course he was up before you spoke!" Solomon was further gratified
to hear Hopkins declare, in his big, hearty voice. "And I think a
man who owns up fair and square just when it's hardest to has got
spine enough to hold him together, anyhow."

"Up before ye asked him!" Abijah turned on Farnsworth. "Up for what?
Tell me that, will ye?"

And Solomon, listening anxiously for Farnsworth's answer, was
depressed to hear him give merely a good-humored laugh at Uncle
Abijah's thrust.

"Mr. Peaslee," asked Sampson, so unexpectedly that Solomon jumped,
"didn't you say something about a marble?"

"Yes," said Mr. Peaslee, gloomily.

"Fit the bore, did it?" continued the foreman.

"Slick," answered Mr. Peaslee, with the brevity of despair.

"If that marble fitted the bore," said Albion Small, while Sampson
nodded assent, "it's my opinion it might do considerable damage."

His opinion had weight, for Small was a hunter of repute. Recovered
from their amusement, the grand jurors had become gradually
impressed with the idea that Mr. Peaslee's confession still left
some awkward questions unanswered. If the matter were so simple as
he said, why had he kept silent so long?

The jurymen came from all over the rather large county, and although
they all had some knowledge of the principal men of Ellmington, and
although such of them as had dealings at its bank had met Mr.
Peaslee, none of them knew him well. He was a newcomer at the
village, and when at his farm had not had a wide acquaintance.

They looked to Farnsworth as his fellow townsman to speak for him;
but Farnsworth said nothing, and seemed preoccupied and doubtful.
The inference was that he shared their perplexity. They felt that
Keith, for all his "cantankerousness," might be right. Solomon could
draw no comfort from their faces.

All this while Paige had been playing with his watch-chain and
watching Abijah, whose character he appreciated, with discreet
amusement; but he found himself in essential agreement with the
peppery old fellow.

"Ask the state's attorney, why don't ye?" put in Keith, impatiently.
"He'll tell ye I've got the rights on 't. Ain't afraid, be ye?"

Sampson smiled. "Mr. State's Attorney," he said, turning to Paige,
"I guess perhaps you'd better gi