here the lamp gave such illumination.

As scouts the boys had long ago learned to be cautious in whatever they
attempted; and hence they did not immediately thrust their heads upward,
at the risk of attracting the attention of whoever might be within the
room. On the contrary each fellow slowly and carefully raised himself,
inch by inch, until his eyes, having passed the lower sill he could see,
first the low ceiling, then the upper part of the opposite wall, and
last of all the occupants themselves.

They were two in number, one an old woman with a sweet face and
snow-white hair; the other a tall, boyish-looking chap, undoubtedly the
Jo who had been farmhand to Mr. Rollins, and was now under the dreadful
ban of suspicion.

When Paul first caught sight of these two they were bending over the
table, on which something evidently lay that had been holding their
attention. Jo was talking excitedly. Every minute he would pause in
whatever he was saying, to throw his arms around the little old lady,
who in turn would clasp her arms about his neck; and in this way they
seemed to be exchanging mutual congratulations. But when they moved
aside while thus embracing, Paul felt a cold chill run up and down his
spine because _there upon the table were several piles of bank bills_!

CHAPTER VII

INNOCENT OR GUILTY?

Paul could feel the farmer trembling as he happened to come in contact
with his person; and from this he guessed that Mr. Rollins had also
discovered the pile of money on the table.

Was Jo Davies, then, such a silly fellow as this? It did not seem
possible that anyone not a fool would rob his employer, and immediately
hurry home, to throw the stolen money before his dear old mother, with
some wonderful story of how he had found it on the road, perhaps, or had
it given to him by a millionaire whose horse he stopped on the highway,
when it was running away with a lady in the vehicle.

And somehow, from the few little glimpses Paul had caught of the young
fellow's face he rather liked Jo Davies. If, as seemed very likely, the
young man had been tempted to steal this money, it would cause Paul a
feeling of regret, even though he had not known there was such a being
as Jo Davies in the world half an hour before.

"Whoo! see the long green!" he heard Seth whisper. "Reckon he's gone and
done it, worse luck!" and from the words and the manner of his saying
them, Paul guessed that the speaker must have taken a f