and knows something more about the
trouble."

"Why, Jason!" exploded Aunt 'Mira. "Of course Mr. Haley is innocent
and you will help him."

"Hi tunket, Dad!" cried Marty. "You ain't goin' back on Nelson?"

Janice was silent. Her uncle did not look at her, but drew his chair
to the table. "I ain't goin' back on nobody," he said steadily. "But
I can't do nothing to harm my own folks. If, as you say, Marty, them
coins is so vallible, his bail'll be consider'ble--for a fac'. If I
put up this here property that we got, an'--an' anything happens--not
that I say anythin' will happen--where'd we be?"

"What ever do ye mean, Jason Day?" demanded his wife. "That Nelson
Haley would run away?"

"Ahem! We don't know how strongly the young man's been tempted," said
Mr. Day doggedly.

"Uncle!" cried Janice, aghast.

"Dad!" exclaimed Marty.

"Jase Day! For the land's sake!" concluded Aunt 'Mira.

"Sit down and eat your dinner, Janice," said Uncle Jason a second time,
ignoring his wife and son. "Remember, I got a duty to perform to your
father as well as to you. What would Broxton Day do in this case?"

"I--I don't know, Uncle Jason," Janice said faintly.

"Fust of all, he wouldn't let you git mixed up in nothin' that would
make the neighbors talk about ye," Mr. Day said promptly. "Now,
whether Nelson Haley is innercent or guilty, there is bound ter be
slathers of talk about this thing and about ev'rybody connected with
it."

"He is not guilty, Uncle," said Janice, quietly.

"That's my opinion, too," said Mr. Day, bluntly. "But I want the
pertic'lars, jest the same. I want to know all about it. Where
there's so much smoke there must be some fire."

"Not allus, Dad," growled Marty, in disgust. "Smoke comes from an
oak-ball, but there ain't no fire."

"You air a smart young man," returned his father, coolly. "You'll grow
up to be the town smartie, like Walky Dexter, I shouldn't wonder.
Nelson must ha' done somethin' to put himself in bad in this thing, and
I want to know what it is he done."

"He went into the schoolhouse," grumbled Marty.

"Howsomever," pursued Mr. Day, "if they shut Nelson Haley up on this
charge and he ain't guilty, we who know him best will git together and
bail him out, if that seems best."

"'If that seems best!'" repeated Aunt 'Mira. "Jason Day! I'm glad the
Lord didn't make me such a moderate critter as you be."

"You're a great friend of Nelse Haley--I don't think!" mut