of candle?" demanded Mr. Fairfield,
earnestly; and doubtless he felt that Levi was guilty, for his
impulsive charge was made on the strength of a course of reasoning he
had followed out.

"What if I did tell you so? Levi didn't steal no four thousand dollars.
There's no sense nor reason in sayin' so," added aunt Susan.

"I say he did steal it. I know he did now," persisted the miser. "He
set the house afire, and then took the money. That boy hates me, and
he's bad enough to do anything, if he is go'n' to jine the church."

"Levi has money enough," argued Mrs. Fairfield. "Why should he steal
your money?"

"Cause he hates me."

"Uncle Nathan, I don't hate you, and I didn't steal your money," said
Levi, who had calmly listened to the debate between his uncle and aunt.

"Yes, you did; you set the house afire, so's to git a chance to git the
money. It's all plain enough to me," continued the old man, striding up
and down the room more rapidly than before.

"I suppose it will be useless for me to say anything," added Levi, more
in pity than in anger. "I am willing to do anything I can to help you
find the money, if it is lost, or catch the thief, if it was stolen."

"'Tain't no use for you to talk no more, Levi Fairfield," said the old
man, stopping in front of him. "You know all about it, and you took the
money. If you're a mind to give it all back to me, I won't say a word
to nobody about it."

"I did not take it, and I know nothing about it. I was not aware that
you had so much money in the house," replied Levi.

"What did you want of the candle, then, if you didn't steal the money?"

"I wanted it to grease the saw-mill, and the candle lies on a rock by
the brook now."

"Didn't you set the house afire when you went up in the garret?"

"I did not. I had no light, and not even a match in my pocket."

"Who did steal it, then, if you didn't?"

"I don't know. Where did you keep the money?"

The old man led the way to his chamber, and pointed out the hole.

"That's a bad place to keep money," said Levi.

"'Tain't no use to keep money in the bank now; they're all failin', and
folks is failin'; and a man that's got a little money is wus off than
them that hain't got none."

Levi asked a great many questions about the money, and the hole, which
uncle Nathan, hoping to find his money, answered. There was no evidence
to fasten the crime upon any one. The facts that appeared were, that
the money, in four bags, h