.

"There is a fine lesson for all of us in that," she said. "If Bessie had
been weak, she might very well have been tempted to say what General
Seeley wanted her to say. She knew she hadn't done anything wrong--and
she said so. But she was told that if she would confess she wouldn't be
punished, or even scolded, and still she would not do it, even when she
found that it meant trouble for her and for us. And, you see, she earned
the reward of doing the right thing, for the truth came out. And it
will happen that way most of the time--ninety-nine times out of a
hundred, I believe."

"I should think you'd be perfectly furious at Jake Hoover, Bessie," said
Zara. "He makes trouble for you all the time. Here he got you blamed for
something he'd done again, and nearly spoiled things just when they were
beginning to look better."

"But he didn't know that, Zara. He did something wrong, but he couldn't
have known that I was going to be blamed for it, you know."

"Aren't you angry at him at all?"

"Yes, for killing that beautiful bird with his horrid snare. But I'm
sorry for him, too. I think he didn't know any better."

"What will happen to him, do you think, Bessie! Will he be sent to
prison?"

"I don't believe so. General Seeley is a kind man, and I think he'll try
to make Jake understand how wrong it was to act so, and send him home. I
certainly hope so."

"I don't see why. I should think you'd want him to be punished. He's
done so many mean things without being found out that when he is caught,
he ought to get what he deserves."

"But it wouldn't be punishing just him, you see, Zara. It would be hard
for Paw Hoover, too, and you know how good he was to us. If it hadn't
been for him I don't believe we'd ever have got to Pine Bridge at all."

"Yes, that's so. He was good to us, Bessie. I'd like to see him again,
and tell him so. But I can't--not if Farmer Weeks can get me if I ever
go back into that state."

"There's another thing to think of, too, Zara, about Jake. He's more
likely to be found out now, when he does something wrong."

"Oh, yes, that's true, isn't it? I hadn't thought of that. He won't be
able to make Maw Hoover think you did everything now, when you're not
there, will he?"

"That's just what I mean. And maybe, when she finds that the things she
used to blame me for keep on happening just the same, though I'm not
there, she'll see that I never did do them at all. It looked pretty bad
for me th