aw! haw! An' afore ye
git anywhere with it, it'll proberbly go on crutches an' be deef an'
dumb inter the bargain!"

Massey did not look as though he enjoyed these gibes much. "I'll go
down an' see Joe," he grunted. "Mebbe he'll know something about it."

"I hope you do not expect to find that I spent that ten dollar gold
piece at the Inn bar," said Nelson, bitterly.

"Well! I'll find out how it got into Joe's hands," growled Massey.

"If Joe tells you," chuckled Walky. "An' do stop for yer hat, Massey.
You'll ketch yer death o' dampness."

The druggist had opened a fruitful subject for speculation. Those he
left behind in the store were eagerly interested. Indeed, Janice and
Nelson could not fail to be excited by the occurrence, and the latter
rode home with Janice in the car to talk the matter over with Uncle
Jason.

"Of course," the schoolmaster said, when the family was assembled in
the sitting room of the old Day house, "_that_ gold piece may not be
one of those stolen at all. There are plenty of ten dollar gold pieces
in circulation."

"Not in Polktown!" exclaimed Uncle Jason.

"And if we are to believe Mr. Massey," added Janice, "there are not
many ten dollar gold pieces of that particular date in existence."

"We don't really know. Perhaps Massey is mistaken. We know he was
excited," said Nelson.

"Hold hard, now," advised Uncle Jason, "It's a breach in their walls,
nevertheless."

"How is that, Mr. Day?" asked the schoolmaster.

"Why, don't you see?" said Uncle Jason, puffing on his pipe in some
excitement. "They have opened th' way for Doubt ter stalk in," and he
chuckled. "Them committeemen have been toller'ble sure--er they've
_said_ they was--it was you stole the money, Mr. Haley. If they can't
connect this coin with you at all, they'll sartain sure be up a stump.
And they air a-breakin' down their own case against ye. I guess I'm
lawyer enough ter see that."

"Oh, goodness, Uncle Jason! So they will!" cried Janice.

"But it does not seem reasonable that the person stealing the coins
would spend one of them in Polktown," Nelson said slowly.

"I dunno," reflected Mr. Day. "I never did think that a thief had any
medals fer good sense--nossir! He most allus leaves some openin' so's
ter git caught."

"And if he spent the money at the tavern--and for liquor--of course he
_couldn't_ have good sense."

"I take off my hat to you on that point, Janice," laughed Nelson. "I
bel