s too much for kind-hearted Molly, and on one of her sisters
saying she did not believe the girl stole it, Molly exclaimed, before
she thought:--

"She didn't! the shop-boy took it!"

"How do you know?" demanded her sister in amazement.

"I saw him; I know all about it," said Molly excitedly.

"You saw it?" said her sister. "What do you mean? How could you see
it?"

Surprised as they were, Molly was a truthful child, and she was so
earnest that her sisters could not doubt she did know something,
though they could not imagine how. A little questioning, however,
brought the facts to light, and Molly's long-treasured secret was out.
She showed her sisters how she got on to the roof, and they were
forced to believe her.

After talking it over, they decided it was too serious a matter for
them to manage, and the next morning, asking to see the store manager,
they quietly told him Molly's story.

He poohed at it, said it was impossible; but upon their insisting, he
at last brought them before the old gentleman.

He was struck with their straightforward story, and impossible as it
seemed, was resolved to test it. Molly was sent for and told so
straight a story of the beautiful lady and the shining jewel, of the
bright pennies he gave her, and of other things she had seen, that a
visit was made to the attic room.

Molly took her fearful step on to the roof in an easy way that showed
it was perfectly familiar, followed by the manager, who was a slight
man. She showed him the peep-hole and how she could see everything in
the room below, and he returned in almost speechless amazement.

The next thing was to pick out the boy who had done it, and this Molly
had to do, though she would not have consented except for her pity for
the shop-girl now shut up in jail.

All the boys of the store were made to stand up in line, and Molly was
told to pick out the boy. It did not need her word, however, for the
guilty boy turned red and white, and at last fell at the feet of the
old gentleman and confessed all.

That was a time of triumph for the sisters: first they received--to
their amazement--the five hundred dollars reward which had been
offered, and then they were given better places in the store at much
higher wages, and Molly was adopted by the beautiful lady whose
valuable jewels she had been the means of recovering.

The sisters hated to give Molly up, but seeing the great benefit it
would be for her, they consented. W