Part 23 (2/2)
”Some of you didn't know what you were about this morning, or the coins never would have been lost,” said Frank Bowman significantly.
”That's easy enough to say,” complained the committeeman. ”It's easy enough to blame us----”
”And it seems to be easy for you men to blame Mr. Haley,” Janice interrupted indignantly.
”Well!”
”I'd like to know,” continued the girl, ”if there was not somebody around here who saw Mr. Hobart bring the coins in here and leave them with you.”
”What if there was?” demanded Mr. Ma.s.sey with sudden asperity. ”The coins were not stolen from this shop--make up your mind on that score, Miss Janice.”
”But if some evilly disposed person had seen them in your possession, he might have planned to do exactly what was afterward done.”
”What's that?” demanded the druggist.
”Planned to get into the schoolhouse, wait till you brought the coins there, and then steal them.”
”Aw, young lady!” grunted the druggist. ”That's too far-fetched. I don't want to hurt your feelin's; but young Haley was tempted, and young Haley fell. That's all there is to it.”
Janice was not silenced. She said reflectively:
”We may all be mistaken. I really wish you would put your mind to it, Mr. Ma.s.sey, and try to remember who was here in the evening, about the time that Mr. Hobart brought you the coin collection.”
She was not looking at the druggist as she spoke; but she was looking into the mirror over the prescription desk. And she could see Ma.s.sey's face reflected in that gla.s.s. She saw his countenance suddenly change.
It flushed, and then paled, and he showed great confusion. But he did not say a word. She was puzzled, but said no more to him. It did not seem as though there was anything more to say regarding the robbery and Nelson Haley's connection with it.
Besides, Hopewell Drugg was gently reminding her that they must start for home.
”I'm afraid Amarilla will be anxious. It--it is dreadfully late,” he suggested.
”We'll leave Mr. Ma.s.sey to think it over,” said Frank Bowman. ”Maybe he'll come to a better conclusion regarding Nelson Haley.”
”I don't care who stole the coins. We want 'em back,” growled the druggist, preparing to lock them all out.
The trio separated on the corner. Hopewell was greatly depressed as he walked on with Janice Day.
”I--I hope that Amarilla will not hear of this evening's performance. I declare! I had no idea that that Bodley young man would play me such a trick. I shall have to refuse to play for any more of the dances,” he said, in his hesitating, stammering way.
”You may be sure I shall not tell her,” Janice said firmly.
They went into the dark store together as though they had just met on the porch. ”I'm awfully glad you've both come,” said 'Rill Drugg. ”I was getting real scared and lonesome. Mr. Bowman gone home, Janice?”
The girl nodded. She had not much to say. The last hour had been so full of incident that she wanted to be alone and think it over. So she hurried to bid the storekeeper and his wife good night and went into the bedroom she was to share with little Lottie.
Janice lay long awake. That was to be expected. Her mind was overwrought and her young heart burdened with a mult.i.tude of troubles.
Her night spent with 'Rill had not turned out just as she expected, that was sure. From her window she could watch the front of Mrs. Beaseley's cottage and she saw that Nelson's lamp burned all night. He was wakeful, too. It made another bond between them; but it was not a bond that made Janice any more cheerful.
<script>