"Why, about the money he"s left ye. It"s a snug sum, so I understand, and I suppose it"ll make ye put on mighty fine airs, so"s ye won"t speak to common folks any more."
Lois now became much interested in the words of this garrulous old woman, and she was anxious to know more, and where she had obtained her information.
"How did you hear that?" she asked.
"Land sakes, don"t ask me sich a question as that, Miss," was the evasive reply. "How could I begin to tell ye where I hear things, fer the air is full of all kinds of stories to-day. But I guess it"s true all right."
"I didn"t know that Mr. David had made a will. That is a surprise to me."
"And indeed it is to everybody else, Miss. We didn"t think that Crazy David had anything to leave. Why he was sold as a pauper to Jim Goban in this very parish about a year ago. But that isn"t the only thing that surprises me."
"What, is there something more?"
"There surely is, Miss. It"s reported that he"s left a hull lot to that Randall feller. I guess he knew how to work his cards all right with the old man. He didn"t take an interest in him fer nuthin", oh, no. People don"t generally do sich things these days fer love."
"Mr. Jasper hadn"t anything to do with that will," Betty angrily protested. "He didn"t know anything about it, neither did I."
"Oh, you wouldn"t know," and the old woman gave a sarcastic chuckle.
"He wouldn"t want people to know what he was doin". He was cute enough fer that. And then to think that he should kill Crazy David to git his money. Why the poor old man couldn"t have lived much longer, anyway."
"You lie!" and Betty, trembling in every limb, sprang to her feet.
"Mr. Jasper didn"t do it. I tell you he didn"t, and you have no right to say such things."
"Come, Betty," Lois remarked, rising to her feet and taking the girl by the arm, "let us go home."
"Ye may not believe me," the old woman called after them as they walked away, "but ye"ll soon find out fer yerselves, and then maybe ye won"t talk so big and mighty."
Betty was going to reply, but Lois checked her.
"I wouldn"t say anything more, dear," she advised. "We must expect people to talk and imagine all sorts of things. Let us be brave and hope for the best."
"But I can"t bear to hear them say such awful things about Mr. Jasper,"
the girl sobbed. "I"m sure he didn"t get Mr. David to make his will, and then kill him to get the money."
"So am I, Betty. But I"m afraid we"ll be the only ones who think so.
We"ll stand by him, anyway, and do all we can for him, won"t we?"
Lois suddenly stopped and her face went pale. They had now come in sight of Jasper"s cabin, and near it were several men. On the road were most of the people who had been at the funeral. That they were greatly excited was quite evident. In an instant Lois realised the meaning of it all, and she clutched Betty by the arm in the intensity of her emotion.
"They are going to arrest him!" Her voice was hoa.r.s.e, and she spoke scarcely above a whisper.
"Who?" Betty asked in surprise, not fully comprehending the meaning of her words.
"The constables are after Mr. Randall," Lois explained. "There they are now!" she cried. "They are coming from the house, and he is walking between them."
"Are they going to put him in prison?" the girl asked.
"Yes, I"m afraid so."
With a wild cry, Betty sprang forward and rushed up the road. Lois followed, wondering what the girl was going to do. She reached the crowd just as Jasper and the constables approached, and stood there a silent watcher. What could she do? she asked herself. Would he see her, and know of her sympathy?
Jasper was walking with a free easy motion, closely guarded by the two constables, one of whom was Jim Goban. His face was pale and he looked very careworn, but he held his head erect and kept his eyes straight before him. Betty standing near, rushed suddenly forward and caught him by the hand.
"Oh, Mr. Jasper," she cried, "we know you didn"t do at, and I want to tell you so."
Taken by surprise, Jasper paused and looked at the girl.
"Thank you," he replied. "I am glad you believe in me."
"And so does Miss Lois," Betty explained. "She"s standing right there," and she motioned to the right.
Jasper turned, saw Lois, and their eyes met. Not a word did they say, but in that fleeting glance the expression that he saw in the eyes of the woman he loved gave him great comfort and courage.
"Git out of the way, girl," Jim Goban brutally ordered. "What d"ye mean by stoppin" us in our duty? We"ll miss the boat if we don"t hurry."
CHAPTER XXVIII
LIGHT BREAKS
Lois stood and watched Jasper and the constables until a bend in the road hid them from view. Then taking Betty by the hand, she moved away from the crowd. She could not bear to listen to their animated discussions as to what would happen to the prisoner, for she was well aware that most of them believed him to be guilty. She walked quite fast until the path across the field was reached. This led along the edge of a grove of young maples and birches, and here was a restful seclusion from all prying eyes.
"You must come and have dinner with me, Betty," she said, speaking for the first time since leaving the crowd. "You will be lonely at the Haven now, and I would like to have you for company, as Miss Westcote has gone to the city."
"Oh, may I?" and the girl lifted her tear-dimmed eyes to her companion"s face. "How nice that will be, and we can talk together about him, can"t we? I must go home soon, for mother will be anxious to see me. She hasn"t been well lately and wasn"t able to get to the funeral. I must do what I can to help her."
"You will not have to work out any more, I suppose," Lois remarked.
"Why?" the girl asked.
"Because of the money Mr. David has left you. You remember what Mrs.
Wadell said, don"t you?"
"Oh, yes," and Betty fixed her eyes thoughtfully upon the ground. "I have been thinking about that. But do you think I should use that money on myself?"
"Why, certainly; what else should you do with it?"
"But Mr. Jasper will need it, will he not?"
"In what way?"
"Won"t he need a lawyer to help him? I know it costs so much to get a lawyer for mother has told me so. We must do all we can to save him."
A mistiness came into Lois" eyes as Betty uttered these words. She suddenly stopped, put her arms lovingly around the girl, and tenderly kissed her.
"You precious dear," she cried. "How sweet it is of you to think of him, and I am most grateful to you. But I do not think you need worry about paying the lawyer. I am sure Mr. Westcote will look after that."