may be mine. I have
had a great many tops, and when I have done with them I throw them
away, and any body may pick them up that pleases. You see, it has lost
its peg."

"Very well, sir. Mrs. Careful, you may retire."

"And must I have no amends, my lord?"

"Have patience; leave everything to the court. We shall do you all the
justice in our power."

As soon as the widow was gone the Judge rose from his seat, and with
much solemnity thus addressed the assembly:

"Gentlemen, this business, I confess, gives me much dissatisfaction. A
poor woman has been insulted and injured in her property, apparently
without provocation, and although she has not been able to convict the
offender, it cannot be doubted that she, as well as the world in
general, will impute the crime to some of our society. Though I am in
my own mind convinced that in her passion she charged an innocent
person, yet the circumstance of the top is a strong suspicion--indeed,
almost a proof--that the perpetrator of this unmanly mischief was one
of our body.

"The owner of the top has justly observed that its having been his
property is no certain proof against him.

"Since, therefore, in the present defect of evidence the whole school
must remain burdened with both the discredit of this action and share
in the guilt of it, I think fit, in the first place, to decree that
restitution shall be made to the sufferer out of the public chest,
and, next, that a Court of Inquiry be instituted for the express
purpose of searching thoroughly into the affair, with the power to
examine all persons upon honor who are thought likely to be able to
throw light upon it. I hope, gentlemen, these measures meet with your
concurrence."

The whole court bowed to the Judge, and expressed their entire
satisfaction with his determination.

It was then ordered that the Public Treasurer should go to the Widow
Careful's house, and pay her a sum of one shilling, making at the same
time a handsome apology in the name of the school; and six persons
were taken by lot of the jury to compose the Court of Inquiry, which
was to sit in the evening.

The Court then adjourned.

On the meeting of the Court of Inquiry the first thing proposed by the
President was that the persons who usually played with Master Riot
should be sent for. Accordingly Tom Frisk and Bob Loiter were
summoned, when the President asked them upon their honor if they knew
the top to have been Riot's.

They said