ouches the
stuff."

"And you think he put it there?"

"Accidentally. He may have dropped it, you know, as he went in. Of
course, he didn't mean to be careless, and when I first spoke to him
about it, he probably didn't know. I could have forgiven the accident;
but when I showed him the bottle, and he lied about it to save
himself--" Dr. McAlister paused.

At sight of the overwhelming testimony of the bottle, Theodora had
dropped down into a chair. Now she sprang up again.

"I'll never believe it as long as I live, bottle or no bottle!" she said
violently. "It is mean and cruel and abominable to lay it to Billy
Farrington; and I will never believe he had anything to do with it till
he says he had. I never thought you'd treat a guest in your own house
like this, Papa McAlister. You can everyone of you go back on him, if
you want. I intend to stand by him." She gave a nod of emphasis to her
words; then, bursting into tears, she banged the door and rushed away to
Billy.

She found him in his room, sitting by the window and trying to read. He
looked pale and worried, for it had been impossible for him to blind
himself to the attitude of the family towards him during the past three
days. Hope and Hubert were scrupulously polite, with a frigid, remote
courtesy which was worse than open hostility; Phebe avoided him as if he
had the plague; and Allyn showed a marked inclination to converse about
the present state of affairs which was scarcely soothing to Billy's
irritated nerves. After the first day, he had remained most of the time
in his own room, whither Theodora followed him and insisted upon
admission.

"What do you care if they do act like idiots?" she demanded fiercely.
"I'm ashamed of them all, utterly ashamed; but I wouldn't care."

"Yes, you would," he returned drearily. "It's no fun to be sent to
Coventry like this, Ted. I wish Hope and Hu would speak out, and have it
over with. I'd like a chance to defend myself; but, if this keeps on, I
shall begin to think I did do it."

"Haven't you any idea?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"No."

"Honestly? You're not trying to shield some one?"

"I'm not in a Sunday-school book," he returned. "Besides, who is there?"

"Somebody. You didn't do it. Oh, Billy, I wish I were good for
anything!"

"You're pretty much all there is, Ted. Perhaps, when your mother comes,
it won't be so bad."

She came, the next evening, escorted by Archie, who looked white and
thin