The Judge raised the strip of leather and
brought it down with a resounding thwack across the boy's legs. He
squirmed, let out a wild yell, and began to blubber. The strap rose and
fell the second time, there was a second yell, and Peace, with blazing
eyes and blanched face, flew in between man and boy, snatched the
upraised strap and flung it clear across the room, screaming in fierce
indignation, "Don't you touch him again! You're a pretty kind of a
judge! Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

"You sentenced him yourself," stammered the surprised man.

"Well, I'll let him off this time," she replied slowly, "but he will
have to pay for those melons."

"How much?"

"A dollar each."

"Whew! They are pretty expensive fruit, aren't they?"

"I've put more'n a dollar's worth of trouble into getting them ready for
the Fair, and now he's et up my blue ribbon."

"Your blue ribbon?"

"Yes, maybe those melons would have won a blue ribbon. Now I'll never
know."

"Well, well, that's too bad," sympathized the amused Judge. "Hector will
have to pay for them, surely. Son, go get the money out of your bank."

"I didn't eat all of them. Jimmy Jones and Ted Fenton and the Beldon
boys helped," said Hector, wiping his eyes sullenly.

"You can c'lect from them later," retorted Peace. "You were at the head
of it, I know."

"Get the money, son," repeated the father sternly, and the unhappy boy
thought it wise to obey without further demur.

When the two silver dollars were laid in her hand Peace smiled her
relief, and with a curt "Thank you," turned to go, when to the utter
amazement of the whole family, she whirled suddenly about and confronted
Hector again, saying calmly, "While I am here, I might as well c'lect
for that cake you stole more'n a year ago."

"Cake?" echoed the group, while the boy's face grew scarlet with guilt
once more.

"Yes, cake! We thought my tramp took it at first. Faith made it for the
minister's reception and put it on the wash-bench under a dishpan to
cool. 'Twas gone when she went to get it again. Hec stole it."

"Hector, did you?"

The boy nodded, too miserable to speak.

"How much was that worth, Peace?"

"It was bigger'n a fifty-cent one. I guess it will be seventy-five
cents."

"Get your bank and settle your account, Hector."

And once more the boy was forced to obey.

"There!" breathed Peace, closing her fingers over the added coins. "I
guess we are square now. I just happened to th