som, aren't
you?"

Bobby nodded miserably. He was thankful for the "Bobby," for he
detested the unfamiliar "Robert" Miss Mason invariably used.

Mr. Carter took off his glasses and laid them on the desk. He turned
his chair slightly to face another chair drawn up at the side.

"Come sit down, Bobby, and don't be afraid," he said quietly. "I want
you to tell me what happened in class yesterday, and why Miss Mason
should think that you defaced her book."

Bobby slid timidly into the chair and began to answer Mr. Carter's
quick questions. And then a strange thing happened. Bobby forgot to be
afraid. As he told about the arithmetic lesson, where he had been a
"poor loser," and about the beautiful book that had been destroyed,
and explained why he went back to the room at recess time, he forgot
that he was speaking to the principal. He stood up straight beside the
desk and talked to Mr. Carter as he would to Daddy Blossom. And the
principal's kind, earnest eyes, his ready smile, and deep, pleasant
voice, all told Bobby that he was speaking to a friend.

"And I didn't touch the book, honest I didn't," finished Bobby.

Mr. Carter put a big, firm hand over the little one resting on his
desk top.

"All right, I believe you," he said earnestly. "Some day we'll find
the boy who did it, never fear."

"But Miss Mason thinks--she thinks I did it," protested Bobby.

"I'll see Miss Mason," promised Mr. Carter briefly. "The thing for you
to do is to forget this and go on as though nothing had happened.
You'll find Miss Mason fair-minded and ready to own a mistake has been
made when once she is convinced. As long as you know you didn't do it
you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

The principal put on his glasses and stood up.

"Next time you come to see me, let's hope we have something pleasanter
to discuss," he said smilingly, holding out his hand to Bobby. "By
the way, didn't I see a little sister of yours yesterday and two other
young people rather anxious to go to school?"

"That was Meg," Bobby informed him. "She had to take the twins home.
They're crazy to come to school." Then he backed out of the room.

"He was just as nice!" Bobby kept saying over and over to himself on
his way upstairs. "Just as nice! And he doesn't b'lieve I hurt the
book."

Tim Roon glanced at Bobby curiously as he came quietly into the room
and took his seat. The class was having a reading lesson, and Tim
could keep his book open and