THE TIDE TURNS
These doubts, however, did not switch Janice Day's thought off the line
of the stolen gold coins.
The five dollar gold piece found in the possession of Jim Narnay still
raised in the girl's mind a number of queries. It was a mystery, she
believed, that when solved might aid in clearing Nelson Haley of
suspicion.
Of course, the coin she carried in her purse might not be one of those
lost with the collection. That was impossible to decide at the moment.
The case of the ten-dollar coin was different. That was an exceedingly
rare one and in all probability nobody but a person ignorant of its
value would have put it into circulation.
Nevertheless, how did Jim Narnay get hold of a five dollar gold piece?
Elder Concannon had not given it to him. Narnay had come to town on
that Saturday evening with only a dollar of the elder's money in his
pocket. Did he bring the coin with him, or did he obtain it after
reaching town? And who had given the gold piece to the man, in either
case?
Janice would have been glad to take somebody into her confidence in
this matter; but who should it be? Not her uncle or her aunt. Neither
Hopewell nor 'Rill was to be thought of. And the minister, or Elder
Concannon, seemed too much apart from this business to be conferred
with. And Nelson----
She did go to Mrs. Beaseley's one evening, hoping that she might find
Nelson there, for she had not seen the young man or heard from him
since he had gone out of town to work for Elder Concannon. He was not
at the widow's, and she found that good but lachrymose woman in tears.
"I'm a poor lone woman--loner and lorner than I've felt since my poor,
sainted Charles passed away. Oh, Janice! it seems a pitiful shame that
such a one as Mr. Haley should have to go to work on a farm when he can
do such a lot of other things--and better things."
"I don't know about there being anything much better than farming--if
one has a taste for it," said Janice cheerfully.
"But an educated man--a teacher!" groaned Mrs. Beaseley. "An' I felt
like he was my own son--'specially since Cross Moore and them others
been houndin' him about that money. Cross Moore come to me, an' says
he: 'Miz Beaseley, 'tis your duty to let me look through that young
man's things when he's out. We'll either clear him or clench it on
him.'
"An' says I: 'Cross Moore, if you put your fut across my threshold I'll
sartain sure take the broom to you--an' ye'll find _that's_ clenched,
a'ready!'"
"Oh, Mrs. Beaseley!" gasped Janice, yet inclined to laugh, too.
"Oh, I'd ha' done it," threatened the widow, the tears still on her
cheeks. "Think o' them, houndin' poor Mr. Haley so! Why! if my poor
sainted Charles was alive, he'd run Cross Moore clean down to the
lake--an' inter it, I expect, like Walky Dexter's boss.
"And if he warn't so proud----"
"_Who_ is so proud, Mrs. Beaseley?" asked Janice, who had some
difficulty at times in following the good woman's line of talk.
"Why--Mr. Nelson Haley. I did make him leave his books here, and
ev'rything he warn't goin' ter use out there at the elder's. And I'm
going to keep them two rooms jest as he had 'em, and he shell come back
here whenever he likes. Money! What d' I keer whether he pays me
money or not? My poor, sainted Charles left me enough to live on as
long as a poor, lorn, lone creeter like me wants ter live. Nelson
Haley is welcome ter stay here for the rest of his endurin' life, if he
wants to, an' never pay me a cent!"
"I don't suppose he could take such great favors as you offer him, Mrs.
Beaseley," said Janice, kissing her. "But you are a _dear_! And I
know he must appreciate what you have already done for him."
"Wish't 'twas more! Wish't 'twas more!" sobbed Mrs. Beaseley. "But
he'll come back ter me nex' Fall. I know! When he goes ter teachin'
ag'in, he _must_ come here to live."
"Oh, Mrs. Beaseley! do you think they will _let_ Nelson teach again in
the Polktown school?" cried the girl.
"My mercy me! D'yeou mean to tell me Cross Moore and Massey and them
other men air perfect fules?" cried the widow. "Here 'tis 'most time
for school to close, and they tell me the graduatin' class ain't
nowhere near where they ought to be in their books. The supervisor
come over himself, and he says he never seen sech ridiculous work as
this Mr. Adams has done here. He--he's a _baby_! And he ought to be
teachin' babies--not bein' principal of a graded school sech as Mr.
Haley built up here."
There were plenty of other people in Polktown who spoke almost as
emphatically against the present state of the school and in Nelson's
favor. Three months or so of bad management had told greatly in the
discipline and in the work of the pupils.
A few who would graduate from the upper grade were badly prepared, and
would have to make up some of their missed studies during the Summer if
they were to be accepted as pupils in their proper grade at the
Middletown Academy.
Mr. Haley's record up to the very day he had withdrawn from his
position of teacher was as good as any teacher in the State. Indeed,
several teachers from surrounding districts had met with him in
Polktown once a month and had taken work and instructions from him.
The State Board of Education and the supervisors had appreciated
Nelson's work. Mr. Adams had been the only substitute they could give
Polktown at such short notice. He was supposed to have had the same
training, as Mr. Haley; but--"different men, different minds."
"Ye'd oughter come over to our graduation exercises, Janice," said
Marty, with a grin. "We're goin' to do ourselves proud. Hi tunket!
that Adams is so green that I wonder Walky's old Josephus ain't bit him
yet, thinkin' he was a wisp of grass."
"Now Marty!" said his mother, admonishingly.
"Fact," said her son. "Adams wants me to speak a piece on that great
day. I told him I couldn't--m' lip's cracked!" and Marty giggled.
"But Sally Prentiss is going to recite 'A Psalm of Life,' and Peke
Ringgold is going to tell us all about 'Bozzar--Bozzar--is'--as though
we hadn't been made acquainted with him ever since Hector was a pup.
And Hector's a big dog now!"
"You're one smart young feller, now, ain't ye?" said his father, for
this information was given out by Marty at the supper table one evening
just before the "great day," as he called the last session of school
for that year.
"I b'lieve I'm smart enough to know when to go in and keep dry,"
returned his son, flippantly. "But I've my doubts about Mr. Adams--for
a fac'."
"Nev' mind," grunted his father. "There'll be a change before next
Fall."
"There'd better be--or I don't go back for my last year at school.
Now, you can bet on that!" cried Marty, belligerently. "Hi tunket!
I'd jest as soon be taught by an old maid after all as Adams."
Differently expressed, the whole town seemed of a mind regarding the
school and the failure of Mr. Adams. The committee got over that
ignominious graduation day as well as possible. Mr. Middler did all he
could to make it a success, and he made a very nice speech to the
pupils and their parents.
The minister could not be held responsible in any particular for the
failure of the school. Of all the committee, he had had nothing to do
with Nelson Haley's resignation. As Walky Dexter said, Mr. Middler
"flocked by himself." He had little to do with the other four members
of the school committee.
"And when it comes 'lection," said Walky, dogmatically, "there's a hull
lot on us will have jest abeout as much to do with Cross Moore and
Massey and old Crawford and Joe Pellett, as Mr. Middler does.
Jefers-pelters! If they don't put nobody else up for committeemen,
I'll vote for the taown pump!"
"Ya-as, Walky," said Uncle Jason, slily. "That'd be likely, I reckon.
I hear ye air purty firmly seated on the water wagon."