tolen the coins. Otherwise you would not
have made a matter public that was quite sure to ruin the young man's
reputation."
The four committeemen writhed under this thrust, and the minister went
on:
"On the other hand, I have no doubt in my mind that Mr. Haley is just
as innocent as I am of the robbery."
"Ye say that 'cause you air a clergyman," said Cross Moore bluntly.
"It's your business to be allus seeing the good side of folks, whether
they've got a good side, or not."
The minister flushed. "I thank God I can see the good side of my
fellow men," he said quickly. "I can even see your good side, Mr.
Moore, when you are willing to uncover it. You do not show it now,
when you persecute this young man----"
"'Persecute'? We oughter prosecute," flashed forth Cross Moore. "The
fellow's as guilty as can be. Nobody else could have done it."
"I wonder?" returned the minister, and walked out before there could be
further friction between them; for he liked the hard-headed, shrewd,
and none-too-honest politician, as he liked few men in Polktown.
If the minister did not distinctly array himself with the partisans of
Nelson Haley, he expressed his full belief in his honesty in a public
manner. And at Thursday night prayer meeting he incorporated in his
petition a request that his parishioners be not given to judging those
under suspicion, and that a spirit of charity be spread abroad in the
community at just this time.
The next day, Walky Dexter said, that charitable spirit the minister
had prayed for "got awfully swatted." News spread that on the previous
Saturday, only a few hours after the coin collection was missed, Nelson
Haley had sent away a post-office money order for two hundred dollars.
"That's where a part of the missing money went," was the consensus of
public opinion. How this news leaked out from the post-office was a
mystery. But when taxed with the accusation Nelson's pride made him
acknowledge the fact without hesitation.
"Yes; I sent away two hundred dollars. It went to my aunt in
Sheffield. I owed it to her. She helped me through college."
"Where did I get the money? I saved it from my salary."
Categorically, these were his answers.
"If that young feller only could be tongue-tied for a few weeks, he
might git out o' this mess in some way," Walky Dexter said. "He talks
more useless than th' city feller that was a-sparkin' one of our
country gals. He talked mighty hig
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