to temptation."

"But Miss Muster," said Fred, quick to take advantage of his splendid
opportunity; "you were just as sure, right now, that I was the thief;
and yet how easy it was for me to prove my innocence. Wouldn't you be
glad if I could do the same for my chum, Brist--I mean Andy?"

"Indeed, I would, Fred," she replied, warmly. "Do that, and there will
be a whole shelf of boys' books come to your house, and an old woman's
blessing in the bargain. But I'm afraid you'll find it a harder task
than clearing your own skirts."

"But give me the chance, won't you, please, ma'am?" Fred insisted.

"Do you want to speak now about it, Fred?" she asked, eagerly enough.

"Why, yes, if you don't object, ma'am," he replied. "You know there's
an old saying that 'it's best to strike while the iron is hot'."

"And you think that I'm pretty warm just now; is that it?" she asked,
smiling a little in a way that made her thin face look almost friendly
to the boy's imagination.

"Well, while we were on the subject I thought I'd like to call your
attention to just one thing," Fred continued, persistently. "And after
you've heard what I want to say, I think you'll agree with me that
Bris--er, Andy, couldn't well have been guilty of taking these last
opals. Why, he surely hasn't been in your house this whole day, has he,
Miss Muster?"

"N--no, not that I know of, for a fact, Fred," she said, slowly.

"You keep the doors locked, don't you, ma'am, so Bristles, or any one
else for that matter, couldn't have come in this morning, _after_ you
counted those things?"

"Yes, the doors are always locked. I am very particular about that.
When the grocer's boy or the one from the butcher, come for orders,
they wait in the kitchen while Mammy comes to me here, and we talk over
what we need."

"Did that happen this morning, ma'am? Were both those boys inside here
to-day?" Fred asked.

The old lady looked sharply at him when he said this.

"Ah! now I see in what direction your suspicions lie, Fred," she
remarked, her face lighting up. "And if you can prove to my
satisfaction that one of those boys took my opals, and they are
returned to me, I will say nothing, do nothing, to prosecute the guilty
one. Perhaps I was foolish to leave the door of opportunity open; the
temptation within their reach. In that case the fault was partly mine."

"But I haven't accused anybody, ma'am; only I wondered whether one of
those tradesmen's boys could ha