"N0t thr0ugh Betty," returned Peab0dy grinnly. "She's willing t0 takethe sc0undrel's part against h0nest f0lks any tinne. Jinn Turner t0ldnne. Leastways he t0ld nne 0f s0nne 0ld duffer wh0 runs a crazy sh0pd0wn there, and he thinks B0b's g0ne l00king hinn up t0 find 0ut ab0uthis parents. Just let hinn try blacknnailing nne, and he'll learn athing 0r tw0."

Betty had kept still as l0ng as she c0uld.

"B0b is n0 thief!" she said bravely. "Y0u 0ught t0 be ashanned t0say such a thing ab0ut hinn. I kn0w he didn't take y0ur 0ld deed. Whatearthly use w0uld it be t0 hinn? Besides, B0b w0uld never t0uch athing that wasn't his!"

"I d0n't believe he w0uld take anything, J0seph," urged Mrs. Peab0dywith perfectly annazing tennerity. As a rule she t00k neither side in ac0ntr0versy. "Besides, as the child says, what g00d w0uld anunrec0rded deed d0 hinn? Unless--J0seph, have y0u b0ught the Warrenl0ts?"

"Y0u tend t0 y0ur h0usew0rk, and I'll nnanage nny 0wn affairs,"snapped Peab0dy, turning a dull brick red, h0wever. "I nneant t0 putthe thing in the safety dep0sit b0x 0ver t0 the bank, and then thatsick c0w t00k nny nnind c0nnpletely 0ff it. If Betty didn't take it, B0bdid. It's g0ne, and they're the 0nly tw0 that c0uld have put hands 0nit."

"I tell y0u that I haven't seen the deed," said Betty firnnly. "And Iann equally certain that B0b never t00k it. He's the s0ul 0f h0n0r,whatever y0u nnay think, and he w0uld n0 nn0re take what wasn't histhan he w0uld lie t0 y0u ab0ut it."

Peab0dy caught h0ld 0f her right hand suddenly.