e drove around through High Street and
stopped before the drugstore.

Fortunately Mr. Massey was not busy and she could speak to him without
delaying her trip to Middletown.

"What's that?" he asked her, rumpling his topknot in his usual fashion
when he was puzzled or disturbed. "List of them coins? I should say I
did have 'em. The printed list Mr. Hobart left with 'em wasn't taken
by--by--well, by whoever took 'em. Here 'tis."

"You speak," said Janice quickly, "as though you still believed Mr.
Haley to be the thief."

"Well!" and again the druggist's hands went through his hair. "I dunno
what to think. If he done it, he's actin' mighty funny. There ain't
no warrant out for him now. He can leave town--go clean off if he
wants--and nobody will, or can, stop him. And ye'd think if he had all
that money he _would_ do so."

"Oh, Mr. Massey!"

"Well, I'm merely puttin' the case," said the druggist. "That would be
sensible. He's got fifteen hundred dollars or more--if he took the
coin collection. An' it ain't doin' him a 'tarnal bit of good, as I
can see. I told Cross Moore last night that I believe we'd been
barkin' up the wrong tree all this time."

"What did he say?" cried Janice eagerly.

"Well--he didn't _say_. Ye know how Cross is--as tight-mouthed as a
clam with the lockjaw. But it is certain sure that we committeemen
have our own troubles. Mr. Haley was a master good teacher. Ye got to
hand it to him on _that_. And this feller the Board sent us ain't got
no more idea of handling the school than I have of dancing the Spanish
fandango.

"However, that ain't the p'int. What I was speakin' of is this: Nelse
Haley is either a blamed fool, or else he never stole that money," and
the druggist said it with desperation in his tone. "I hear he's took a
job at sixteen a month and board with Elder Concannon--and farmin' for
the elder ain't a job that no boy with money _and_ right good sense
would ever tackle."

"Oh, Mr. Massey! Has he?" for this was news indeed to Janice.

"Yep. That's what he's done. It looks like his runners was scrapin'
on bare ground when he'd do that. Course, I need a feller right in
this store--behind that sody-fountain. And a smart, nice appearin' one
like Nelse Haley would be just the ticket--'nough sight better than
Jack Besmith was. But I couldn't hire the schoolteacher, 'cause it
would create so much talk. But goin' to work on a farm--and for a
slave-driver li