ONE MATTER COMES TO A HEAD
That was a black week for Janice as well as for the young schoolmaster.
She could barely keep her mind upon her studies at the seminary.
Nelson Haley's salvation was the attention he was forced to give to his
classes in the Polktown school.
One or another of the four committeemen who had constituted themselves
his enemies, were hovering about Nelson all the time. He felt himself
to be continually watched and suspected.
Mr. Middler, who had been away on an exchange over Sunday, returned to
find his parish split all but in two by the accusation against Nelson
Haley. Mr. Middler was the fifth member of the School Committee, and
both sides in the controversy clamored for him to take a hand in the
case.
"Gentlemen," he said to his four brother committeemen in Massey's back
room, "I have not a doubt in my mind that you are all honestly
convinced that Mr. Haley has stolen the coins. Otherwise you would not
have made a matter public that was quite sure to ruin the young man's
reputation."
The four committeemen writhed under this thrust, and the minister went
on:
"On the other hand, I have no doubt in my mind that Mr. Haley is just
as innocent as I am of the robbery."
"Ye say that 'cause you air a clergyman," said Cross Moore bluntly.
"It's your business to be allus seeing the good side of folks, whether
they've got a good side, or not."
The minister flushed. "I thank God I can see the good side of my
fellow men," he said quickly. "I can even see your good side, Mr.
Moore, when you are willing to uncover it. You do not show it now,
when you persecute this young man----"
"'Persecute'? We oughter prosecute," flashed forth Cross Moore. "The
fellow's as guilty as can be. Nobody else could have done it."
"I wonder?" returned the minister, and walked out before there could be
further friction between them; for he liked the hard-headed, shrewd,
and none-too-honest politician, as he liked few men in Polktown.
If the minister did not distinctly array himself with the partisans of
Nelson Haley, he expressed his full belief in his honesty in a public
manner. And at Thursday night prayer meeting he incorporated in his
petition a request that his parishioners be not given to judging those
under suspicion, and that a spirit of charity be spread abroad in the
community at just this time.
The next day, Walky Dexter said, that charitable spirit the minister
had prayed for "got awfully swatted." News spread that on the previous
Saturday, only a few hours after the coin collection was missed, Nelson
Haley had sent away a post-office money order for two hundred dollars.
"That's where a part of the missing money went," was the consensus of
public opinion. How this news leaked out from the post-office was a
mystery. But when taxed with the accusation Nelson's pride made him
acknowledge the fact without hesitation.
"Yes; I sent away two hundred dollars. It went to my aunt in
Sheffield. I owed it to her. She helped me through college."
"Where did I get the money? I saved it from my salary."
Categorically, these were his answers.
"If that young feller only could be tongue-tied for a few weeks, he
might git out o' this mess in some way," Walky Dexter said. "He talks
more useless than th' city feller that was a-sparkin' one of our
country gals. He talked mighty high-falutin'--lots dif'rent from what
the boys she'd been bringed up with talked.
"Sez he: 'See haow b-e-a-u-tiful th' stars shine ter-night. An' if th'
moon would shed--would shed----' 'Never mind the woodshed,' sez the
gal. 'Go on with yer purty talk.' Haw! haw! haw!
"Now, this here Nelson Haley ain't got no more control of his tongue
than that feller had. Jefers-pelters! what ye goin' ter do with a
feller that tells ev'rything he knows jest because he's axed?"
"He's perfectly honest," Janice cried. "That shows it."
"If he's puffec' at all," grunted Walky, "he's a puffec' fule! That's
what he is!"
And Nelson Haley's frankness really did spell disaster. Taking courage
from the discovery of the young schoolmaster's use of money, the
committee swore a warrant out for him before Judge Little. It was done
very quietly; but Nelson's friends, who were on the watch for just such
a move, were informed almost as soon as the dreadful deed was done.
News of it came to the Day house on Saturday afternoon, just before
supper-time. On this occasion Uncle Jason waited for no meal to be
eaten. Marty ran and got out Janice's car. His cousin and Mr. Day
joined him while Aunt 'Mira came to the kitchen door with the
inevitable slice of pork dangling from her fork.
"I'd run him right out o' the county, that's what I'd do, Janice, an'
let Cross Moore and Massey whistle for him!" cried the angry lady.
"Leastwise, don't ye let that drab old crab, Poley Cantor, take him to
jail."
"We'll see about _that_," said Uncle Jason grimly. "Let her go,
Marty--an' see if ye can git us down the hill without runnin' over
nobody's pup."
Perhaps Judge Little had purposely delayed giving the warrant to
Constable Cantor to serve. The Days found Nelson at home and ran him
down to the justice's office before the constable had started to hunt
for his prey.
The "drab" old constable met them in front of the justice's office and
marched back into the room with Janice and Nelson and Marty and his
father. Judge Little looked surprised when they entered.
"What's this? what's this?" he demanded, smiling at Janice. "Another
case of speeding, Janice Day?"
"Somebody's been speeding, I reckon, Jedge," drawled Mr. Day. "And
their wheels have skidded, too. I understand that you've issued a
warrant for Mr. Haley?"
"Had to do it, Jason--positively _had_ to," said the justice. "Better
serve it right here, quietly, Constable. This is a serious matter, Mr.
Haley. I'm sorry."
"Wal," drawled Uncle Jason, "it ain't so serious; I s'pose, but what
you kin take bail for him? I'm here to offer what leetle tad of
property I own. An' if ye want more'n I got, I guess I kin find all ye
want purty quick."
"That'll be all right, Jason," Judge Little said quickly. "I'll put
him under nominal bail, only. We'll have a hearing Monday evening, if
that's agreeable to----"
"Nossir!" exclaimed Uncle Jason promptly. "This business ain't goin'
ter be hurried. We gotter git a lawyer--and a good one. I dunno but
Mr. Haley will refuse to plead and the case will hatter be taken to a
higher court. Why, Jedge Little! this here means life an' repertation
to this young man, and his friends aren't goin' ter see no chance
throwed away ter clear him and make them school committeemen tuck their
tails atween their laigs, an' skedaddle!"
"Oh, very well, Jason. We'll set the examination for next Saturday,
then?"
"That'll be about right," said Uncle Jason. "Give us a week to turn
around in. What d'ye say, Mr. Haley?"
"I'd like to have it over as quickly as possible," sighed the young
man. "But I think you know best, Mr. Day."
He could not honestly feel grateful. As they got into the car again to
whirl up the hill to the Day house for supper, Nelson felt a little
doubtful, after all, of Mr. Day's wisdom in putting off the trial.
"I might just as well be tried, convicted, and sentenced right now, as
to have it put off a week," he said, after they reached the Day place.
"They've got me, and they mean to put me through. A demand has been
made upon the committee through the State Board by the owner of the
collection of coins. The value of the collection is placed by the
owner at sixteen hundred and fifty dollars, their face value--although
some of the pieces were rare, and worth more. There is not a man of
the quartette that would not sell his soul for four hundred and twelve
dollars and fifty cents!"
"_Now_ you've said a mouthful!" grunted Marty, in agreement.
"That's a hard sayin'," Mr. Day observed judiciously. "They're
all--th' hull quadruped (Yes, Marty, that's what I meant, 'quartette,')
of 'em--purty poor pertaters, I 'low. But four hundred dollars is a
lot of money for any man ter lose."
Nelson was very serious, however. He said to Janice:
"You see now, can't you, why I can not teach any longer? I should not
have done it this past week. I shall ask for my release. It is
neither wise, nor right for a person accused of robbery to teach school
in the community."
"Oh, Nelson!" gasped the girl despairing.
"Hi tunket! I won't go to school--_a-tall_, if they don't let you
teach, Mr. Haley," cried Marty.
"Of course you will, Marty," said the schoolmaster. "I shall need you
boys right there to stand up for me."
"Well!" gasped the very red lad, "you kin bet if they put Miss Pearly
Breeze inter your place, I won't go. I've vowed I won't never go to
school to no old maid again!"
"Wal, now you've said it," sniffed his father, "and hev relieved your
mind, s'pose ye bring in some wood for the settin' room stove. We need
a spark o' fire to take the chill off."
Meanwhile Nelson was saying: "I will resign; I will not wait for them
to request me to get out. If you will lend me ink and paper, Janice,
I'll write my resignation here and hand it to Massey as I go home."
"But, Mr. Middler----" began Janice.
"Mr. Middler is only one of five. He has no power now in the
committee, for the other four are against him. Cross Moore and Massey
and Crawford and Joe Pellet mean to put it on me if they can. I think
they have already had legal advice. I think they will attempt to
escape responsibility for the loss of the coin collection by
prosecuting and convicting me of having stolen the money. They were
not under bond, you know."
"It's a mess! it's a mess!" groaned Uncle Jason, "whichever way ye look
at it. What ye goin' ter do, Mr. Haley, if ye don't teach?"
"I'd go plumb away from here an' never come back to Polktown no more!"
declared the heated Marty, coming in with an armful of wood.
"I feel as though I might as well do that, Marty, when I hear you
speak," said Nelson, shaking his head. "What good does it do you to go
to school? I have failed somewhere when you use such poor grammar
as----"
"Huh! what's good grammar?" demanded the boy, so earnest that he
interrupted the teacher. "That won't make ye a civil engineer--and
that's what I'm goin' ter be."
"A proper use of English will help even in that calling in life," said
the schoolmaster. "But seriously, I have no intention of running away."
"Ye don't wanter be idle," Mr. Day said.
"I'll find something to do, I fancy. But whether or no, it shall not
be said of me that I was afraid to face this business. I won't run
away from it."
Janice squeezed his hand privately in approval. She had been afraid
that he might wish to flee. And who could blame him? During this week
of trial, however, Nelson Haley had recovered his self-control, and had
deliberately made up his mind to the manly course.
Nevertheless, he did not appear in his accustomed place in church on
the morrow. It was not possible for him to walk boldly up the church
aisle among the people who doubted his honesty, or would sneer at him,
either openly or behind his back. And it was known all over the town
by church time that Sunday that he had been arrested, bailed, and had
asked the school committee for a vacation of indefinite length and
without pay, and that this had been granted.
Miss Pearly Breeze and her contingent of trends were not happy for
long. The School Committee knew that a return to old methods in school
matters would never satisfy Polktown again.
They telegraphed the State Superintendent of Schools and a proper and
capable substitute for Mr. Haley was expected to arrive on Monday.
It was on Monday morning, too, that Nelson's partisans and the enemy
came to open warfare. That is, the junior portion of the community
began belligerent action.
Janice was rather belated that morning in starting for Middletown in
the Kremlin car. Marty jumped on the running board with his school
books in a strap, to ride down the hill to the corner of School Street.
Just as they came in sight of Polktown's handsome brick schoolhouse,
there was Nelson Haley briskly approaching.
He had given up his key to the committee on Saturday night; but there
were books and private papers in his desk that he desired to remove
before his successor arrived. The front door was locked and he had to
wait for Benny Thread to hobble up from the basement to open it.
This delay brought every woman on the block to her front windows. Some
peeped from behind the blinds; some boldly came out on their "stoops"
to eye the unfortunate schoolmaster askance. A group of boys were
gathered on the corner within plain earshot of the schoolmaster. As
Janice turned the car carefully into School Street Sim Howell, one of
these young loungers, uttered a loud bray.
"What d'ye s'pose he's after now?" he then demanded of nobody in
particular, but loud enough for all the neighbors to hear. "S'pose he
thinks there's any more money in there ter steal?"
"Stop, Janice!" yelped Marty. "I knew I'd got ter do it. That
feller's been spoilin' for it for a week! Lemme down, I say!"
He did not wait for his cousin to obey his command. Before she could
stop the car he took a flying leap from the running-board of the
automobile. His books flew one way, his cap another; and with a wild
shout of rage, Marty fell upon Sim Howell!