"I guess they're--a part of them--inside this letter," he said.
As he spoke he produced a letter, stamped and sealed, but notpostmarked. The letter was addressed:
"Messrs. Jones & Fitch,
"---Chestnut Street,
"Philadelphia."
"What makes you think this letter contains money or postage stamps, Mr.Graham?" asked George Melville.
"Because I've seen an advertisement of Jones & Fitch in one of theweekly papers. They advertise to send several articles to any address onreceipt of seventy-five cents in postage stamps."
"Very well. What inference do you draw from this?"
"Don't you see?" answered Eben, in malicious triumph. "That's where partof the stamps went. This letter was put into the post office by HerbertCarr this morning."
"That is not true," said Herbert, quietly.
"Maybe it isn't, but I guess you'll find Herbert Carr's name signed tothe letter," said Eben.
"Have you seen the inside of the letter, Mr. Graham?"
"No, sir."
"Then how do you know Herbert Carr's name is signed to it?"
"I don't know, but I am pretty sure it is."
"You think Herbert Carr wrote the letter?"
"Yes, sir."
"If there is no objection," said Melville, "I will settle the matter byopening it."
"That's what I want you to do." said Eben Graham.
"And I also," said Herbert.
Mr. Melville deliberately cut open one end of the envelope with a smallpenknife, and drew out the folded sheet which it contained. As he didso, a small sheet of postage stamps fell upon the floor.
"There, do you see that?" said Eben in triumph.
The sheet of stamps contained twenty-five three-cent stamps,representing in value seventy-five cents.
"Shall I read the letter, sir?" asked Melville, of the judge.
"If there is no objection."
Melville read it aloud, as follows:
"WAYNEBORO, August 2lst. MESSRS. JONES & FITCH: I inclose seventy-fivecents in stamps, and will be glad to have you send me the articles youadvertise in the Weekly Gazette. Yours truly,
"HERBERT CARR."
Herbert listened to the reading of this letter in amazement.
"I never wrote that letter," he said, "and I never heard of Jones &Fitch before."
"That's a likely story!" sneered Eben Graham. "I submit to Judge Slocumthat I have proved my case. I haven't found out when all the stampsleft, but I have shown where some are. One who will steal seventy-fivecents' worth of stamps will steal six dollars' worth."
"I agree with you there, Mr. Graham," said George Melville. "Will you bekind enough to sit down at that table, and write to my dictation?"
"What should I do that for?" asked Eben, suspiciously.
"Never mind. Surely you can have no objection."
"Well, no; I don't know as I have, though I think it's all foolishness."
He sat down, and a pen was handed him.
"What shall I write?" he asked.
"Write 'Messrs. Jones & Fitch.'"
"What for?" demanded Eben, looking discomposed.
"That's my affair. Write."
Eben wrote the words, but he seemed to find some difficulty in doing so.It was clear that he was trying to disguise his handwriting.
"What next?" he asked.
"'I inclose seventy-five cents in stamps,'" proceeded George Melville.
"Do you want to throw suspicion on me?" asked Eben, throwing down thepen.
"Keep on writing!" said the judge.
Eben did so, but was very deliberate about it, and seemed veryparticular as to how he penned his letter.
"Very well!" said Melville. "Now, I wish Herbert Carr to take the pen,and I will dictate the same letter."
Herbert readily took the seat just vacated by Eben, and rapidly wrotethe words dictated to him.
When he had finished his task, Mr. Melville took the two copies, and,first examining them himself, handed them, together with the originalletter, to Justice Slocum.
"I have only to ask your honor," he said, "to compare these three notesand decide for yourself whether the original was written by Herbert Carror Mr. Eben Graham, the witness against him."
Eben Graham looked very ill at ease, flushing and paling by turns whilethe examination was going on.
"I submit," he said, "that this is a very extraordinary way of treatinga witness."
Justice Slocum, after a pause, said: "I find that Mr. Eben Graham'scopy is unmistakably in the same handwriting as the original letter,purporting to be written by Herbert Carr."
"It's not so!" faltered Eben.
"Then," said George Melville, triumphantly, "as it seems clear that myyoung client is the victim of a base conspiracy, engineered by the manwho has brought this charge of dishonesty against him, I have only toask that he be honorably discharged."
"The request is granted," said Justice Slocum. "Herbert, you can go. Itis clear that you are innocent of the charge made against you."
"I protest," began Eben Graham.
"As for you, Mr. Graham," said the justice, severely, "I have no wordsto express my scorn and detestation of your conduct in deliberatelycontriving a plot to ruin the reputation of an innocent boy, who hasnever done you any harm. Should Herbert Carr desire it, he is at libertyto sue you for having him arrested on a false charge trumped up byyourself."
Eben began to look frightened.
"I do not wish to punish Mr. Graham," said Herbert. "It is enough for methat my honesty has been vindicated."
"Go, then," said the justice to Eben. "It is fortunate for you that thisboy is so forbearing."
Eben Graham slunk out of the justice's office, looking meaner and morecontemptible than ever, while Herbert was surrounded by his friends, whocongratulated him upon the happy issue of the trial.
CHAPTER XIII. EBEN'S LAST HOPE FAILS.
Do and Dare — a Brave Boy's Fight for Fortune Page 12