tter looks now, you are a party to the theft, and I can cause
your arrest," added the squire, vexed at the officiousness of the deputy
sheriff.

"O, dear me!" groaned Mrs. Taylor.

"Don't be frightened, mother," interposed Bobtail. "You know, and I
know, that you did not obtain the money from me."

"And the Lord knows I did not, and that I came honestly by it, too,"
sobbed the poor woman, who had a mortal terror of courts and the law.

"If you came honestly by the money, why don't you tell where you
obtained it?" added Squire Gilfilian.

"I have my reasons."

"If your son did not give you this bill--"

"He did not! I'm sure he never saw it before," protested Mrs. Taylor.

"Whoever gave you this bill must have stolen it," said the squire,
sternly.

"That don't follow," replied Mr. Brooks. "It may have passed through the
hands of half a dozen persons after it was taken from the letter."

"Are you the counsel for these parties, Mr. Brooks?" demanded the
squire, smartly.

"I am not; but the prisoner is in my keeping, and shall have fair play.
I'll take him away if you are not satisfied, for I brought him here to
oblige you," answered the deputy sheriff, who was certainly very
considerate towards his charge.

"All I want is, to get at the truth," added the squire, in a milder
tone. "If Mrs. Taylor did not receive this bill from her son, and will
tell us where she got it, we can trace out the thief."

"That's the point," said Captain Chinks. "We want to find the guilty
party."

Captain Chinks winked rapidly for an instant, as though his brain was
fearfully exercised to discover the thief. He had one black eye, which
winked faster than the other--it was the result of his interview with
Little Bobtail the day before, for the boy struck hard when he was
assailed.

"I can't tell you where I got the bill," said Mrs. Taylor; "but I came
honestly by it."

"It's no use of saying anything more, then," added the lawyer. "Under
these circumstances, I am compelled to regard you as a party to your
son's guilt, Mrs. Taylor; and I must cause your arrest."

"Don't do that, Squire Gilfilian," pleaded Bobtail.

"I must do it. It becomes my duty to do it."

"Let him do it," whispered Mr. Brooks.

"I can't help it if you do," sobbed the poor woman. "If I have to go to
jail, I can't tell."

"Nothing more can be done, and I shall procure a warrant for the arrest
of Mrs. Taylor," said the lawyer, gathering up the papers