luxury as one can
buy, young lady. But, why hesitate? It won't take all of that hundred
dollars," he answered, swaggering a trifle over his superior
knowledge.

Out it came without pause or pretense, the dark suspicion that had
risen in Dorothy's innocent mind:

"But I haven't that hundred dollars! It's gone. It's--_stolen_!"

"Dorothy Calvert! How dare you say such a thing?"

It was Molly's horrified question that broke the long silence which
had fallen on the group; and hearing her ask it gave to poor Dorothy
the first realization of what an evil thing it was she had voiced.

"I don't know! Oh! I don't know! I wish I hadn't. I didn't mean to
tell, not yet; and I wish, I wish I had kept it to myself!" she cried
in keen regret.

For instantly she read in the young faces before her a reflection of
her own hard suspicion and loss of faith in others; and something that
her beloved Seth Winters had once said came to her mind:

"Evil thoughts are more catching than the measles."

Seth, that grand old "Learned Blacksmith!" To him she would go, at
once, and he would help her in every way. Turning again to her mates
she begged:

"Forget that I fancied anybody might have taken it to keep. Of course,
nobody would. Let's hurry in and get Mabel's invitation off. I think
I've enough money to pay for a message long enough to explain what I
want; and her fare here--well she'll have to pay that herself or her
father will. I've asked to have Portia put to the pony cart and we
girls will drive around and ask all the others. So glad they live on
the mountain where we can get to them quick."

"Dolly, shall you go to The Towers, to see that Montaigne girl?" asked
Alfaretta, rather anxiously.

"Yes, but you needn't go in if you don't want to, Alfy dear. I shall
stay only just long enough to bid her welcome home and invite her for
Saturday."

"Oh! I shouldn't mind. I'd just as lief. Fact, I'd _admire_, only if I
put on my best dress to go callin' in the morning what'll I have left
to wear to the Party? And Ma Babcock says them Montaignes won't have
folks around that ain't dressed up;" said the girl, so frankly that
Molly laughed and Dorothy hastened to assure her:

"That's a mistake, Alfy, dear, I think. They don't care about a
person's clothes. It's what's inside the clothes that counts with
sensible people, such as I believe they are. But, I'll tell you. It's
not far from The Towers' gate to the old smithy and I must see M