s a serious matter, Mr.
Haley. I'm sorry."

"Wal," drawled Uncle Jason, "it ain't so serious; I s'pose, but what
you kin take bail for him? I'm here to offer what leetle tad of
property I own. An' if ye want more'n I got, I guess I kin find all ye
want purty quick."

"That'll be all right, Jason," Judge Little said quickly. "I'll put
him under nominal bail, only. We'll have a hearing Monday evening, if
that's agreeable to----"

"Nossir!" exclaimed Uncle Jason promptly. "This business ain't goin'
ter be hurried. We gotter git a lawyer--and a good one. I dunno but
Mr. Haley will refuse to plead and the case will hatter be taken to a
higher court. Why, Jedge Little! this here means life an' repertation
to this young man, and his friends aren't goin' ter see no chance
throwed away ter clear him and make them school committeemen tuck their
tails atween their laigs, an' skedaddle!"

"Oh, very well, Jason. We'll set the examination for next Saturday,
then?"

"That'll be about right," said Uncle Jason. "Give us a week to turn
around in. What d'ye say, Mr. Haley?"

"I'd like to have it over as quickly as possible," sighed the young
man. "But I think you know best, Mr. Day."

He could not honestly feel grateful. As they got into the car again to
whirl up the hill to the Day house for supper, Nelson felt a little
doubtful, after all, of Mr. Day's wisdom in putting off the trial.

"I might just as well be tried, convicted, and sentenced right now, as
to have it put off a week," he said, after they reached the Day place.
"They've got me, and they mean to put me through. A demand has been
made upon the committee through the State Board by the owner of the
collection of coins. The value of the collection is placed by the
owner at sixteen hundred and fifty dollars, their face value--although
some of the pieces were rare, and worth more. There is not a man of
the quartette that would not sell his soul for four hundred and twelve
dollars and fifty cents!"

"_Now_ you've said a mouthful!" grunted Marty, in agreement.

"That's a hard sayin'," Mr. Day observed judiciously. "They're
all--th' hull quadruped (Yes, Marty, that's what I meant, 'quartette,')
of 'em--purty poor pertaters, I 'low. But four hundred dollars is a
lot of money for any man ter lose."

Nelson was very serious, however. He said to Janice:

"You see now, can't you, why I can not teach any longer? I should not
have done it this past week