n. Officer, take me
where you must. Any place is preferable to breathing the same air with
treachery."

"Clifford, Clifford!" cried Peggy going to him. "I am so sorry that it
hath come out so. Oh, Clifford, what can I do for thee now? And Sally!
I know that it happened as she hath said. She would not----"

"You can do naught, my cousin," answered he, his eyes softening as
they rested upon her. "You, at least, are guiltless of overt act
toward me."

"And Sally also," she began eagerly, but the boy's lips set in a
straight line.

"We will not discuss it," he answered loftily. "I hope that no
trouble will come to you, Peggy."

"Trouble," echoed Sheriff Will "They shall both be indicted for this.
'Twas a neat trick, but ye won't find the Supreme Executive Council so
easily deluded. Was your father concerned in this, Miss Peggy?"

"No," replied she quickly. "He knows no more of it than thee does,
Friend Will. I alone am to blame for all that hath occurred. Sally
only helped for friendship sake."

"You shall hear of it," spoke the sheriff grimly. "Come on, young man.
We have wasted too much time on you already."

"Don't hurry him away, Friend Will," pleaded Sally sobbing. "Let me
tell him how it was. Do let me talk to him a moment."

"Lead on," commanded Clifford, turning his back upon her decidedly.
"Why dally longer?"

Without another glance at the weeping Sally he was led away between
two of the men.

CHAPTER VII

DAVID OWEN IS INFORMED OF THE FACTS

"Why are our bodies soft, and weak, and smooth,
Unapt to toil, and trouble in the world,
But that our soft conditions, and our hearts,
Should well agree with our external parts?"

--"_Taming of the Shrew._"

"I didn't mean it, Peggy," sobbed Sally over and over. "Thee knows
that I didn't mean it to turn out so. Thee knows that I wouldn't do
such a thing, doesn't thee? I said the loom. Truly I said the loom. I
ran to the stairway just as quickly as I could after the sheriff said
he knew of the closet, and I called to thee to tell him to go to the
loom. And thee didn't hear me? Oh, Peggy! Peggy I thee knows that I
wouldn't betray thy cousin knowingly. Thee knows it, Peggy?"

"There, Sally," soothed Peggy. "I know that thee would do naught that
was not honorable. I see it all. All that was intended. Thee thought
that Clifford would go up attic behind the loom, and that by assuming
a bold front thee could deceive the sherif