an give no good reason for
wanting it. I'm so troubled I really don't know what to do."

She looked troubled, and Thorny put his arms about her as if to keep all
worries but his own away from her.

"Don't you fret, Cely, dear; you leave it to me. I'll fix
him--ungrateful little scamp!"

"That is not the way to begin. I am afraid you will make him angry and
hurt his feelings, and then we can do nothing."

"Bother his feelings! I shall just say, calmly and coolly: 'Now, look
here, Ben, hand over the money you took out of my sister's drawer, and
we'll let you off easy,' or something like that."

"It wouldn't do, Thorny; his temper would be up in a minute, and away he
would go before we could find out whether he was guilty or not. I wish I
knew how to manage."

"Let me think," and Thorny leaned his chin on the arm of the chair,
staring hard at the knocker as if he expected the lion's mouth to open
with words of counsel then and there.

"By Jove, I do believe Ben took it!" he broke out suddenly; "for when I
went to his room this morning to see why he didn't come and do my boots,
he shut the drawer in his bureau as quick as a flash, and looked red and
queer, for I didn't knock, and sort of startled him."

"He wouldn't be likely to put stolen money there. Ben is too wise for
that."

"He wouldn't keep it there, but he might be looking at it and pitch it
in when I called. He's hardly spoken to me since, and when I asked him
what his flag was at half-mast for, he wouldn't answer. Besides, you
know in the reading this afternoon he didn't listen, and when you asked
what he was thinking about, he colored up and muttered something about
Sanch. I tell you, Celia, it looks bad--very bad," and Thorny shook
his head with a wise air.

"It does, and yet we may be all wrong. Let us wait a little and give the
poor boy a chance to clear himself before we speak. I'd rather lose my
money than suspect him falsely."

"How much was it?"

"Eleven dollars; a one went first, and I supposed I'd miscalculated
somewhere when I took some out; but when I missed a ten, I felt that I
ought not to let it pass."

"Look here, sister, you just put the case into my hands and let me work
it up. I won't say any thing to Ben till you give the word; but I'll
watch him, and now that my eyes are open, it won't be easy to deceive
me."

Thorny was evidently pleased with the new play of detective, and
intended to distinguish himself in that line; but