St. Nicholas, Vol. 5, No. 5, March, 1878

minds. There was no escape from the conviction that one of the boys, either by accident or with evil intent, had taken the missing articles. If by accident, they would be returned the first

unusual troubled him, no matter what the weather might be, he would pace the garden

pply this term, turning a good old phrase into a cant expression. He

others of the establishment were abroad, he turned into the summer-hou

evening were told separately that he wished to speak with them in his library. Each was rather startled on arriving to find others there, and

e that has caused me much anxiety, and I shall be thankful if you can allay my uneasiness. You will remember that last night Mrs. Brier showed you a casket of trinkets and curiosities, amongst them a valuable miniature painting and an antique snuff-box. I am so

ne to the other as each answered in t

w anything whatever about the matter. For the sake of each, and the honor of all, I char

, s

en, do

the things and thought I saw Mrs

w anything,

not,

u, Pem

, s

ou, M

esitated. The Doctor

d he held to the back of a chair with a very determi

k, man? Speak out

a circumstance, but I shall

ate to any o

do

. But let me first continue my

and the answer in each

or rather what you suspect, and I leave it to your good sense to s

ned toward Digby with intense interest, whi

evening, sir, when we were in your drawing-room. I said to him, 'I've caught

se," cried Howard, in a p

Fraser or McDonald, who saw it, or better still, to Martin Ven

or indirectly, that you think should c

for he was walking about in his room in the middle of the night, and I fancied he got out of the window. This is al

was not one in the room who believed him to be guilty, he would have easily recovered from the blow; but with his peculiarly nervous temperament, although conscious of perfect innocence in the

rtin Venables. Martin knew the peculiarities of Howard's character better than any one p

ure, it pleased Howard, as it does everybody who sees it. He made a remark to me that it was very much like my cousin, Miss Greenwood, and perhaps you know, sir, that many boys in the school think her very lovely and amiable. Howard thought so too, and when he attempted to put the miniature in his pocket, as Digby untruthfully stated, he merely put it, in fun, to the place where they say the heart is. It was what any of us might have done, and, wise or not wise, we

ech-the first set speech he had ever made-and

isplay of sentiment, although in his heart of hearts he would have liked to step forward and pat Martin on the

er?" said a servant, putti

ed," answered the Doctor

this servant seemed to be in the secret which had called the lit

sir, I must spea

for a moment, to return agai

all about?" as

erton sleeps in, I noticed the ticking loose, and I put my ha

hair in time of trouble turning from black to white in the course of a night. Howard Pemberton did not spring from boyhood to manhood at this strange disco

that I am innocent of this charge. If you have spoken against me to-day because you thought you ought to do it, I ca

and turning to the Doctor, said: "Have yo

who had been summoned to this the strangest meeting that was ever held in Blackrock School, he dismissed the b