“Iwasonlyinfun，“saidNed。
　　“YouareasneakyourselftobadgerNatroundthecorner。Letmecatchyouatitagain，andI’llsouseyouintherivernexttime。Getup，andclearout!“thunderedDan，inarage。
　　Nedfled，dripping，andhisimpromptusitz-bathevidentlydidhimgood，forhewasveryrespectfultoboththeboysafterthat，andseemedtohavelefthiscuriosityinthebrook。AshevanishedDanjumpedoverthewall，andfoundNatlying，asifquitewornoutandboweddownwithhistroubles。
　　“Hewon’tpesteryouagain，Iguess。Ifhedoes，justtellme，andI’llseetohim，“saidDan，tryingtocooldown。
　　“Idon’tmindwhathesaysaboutmesomuch，I’vegotusedtoit，“answeredNatsadly；“butIhatetohavehimpitchintoyou。“
　　“Howdoyouknowheisn’tright？“askedDan，turninghisfaceaway。
　　“What，aboutthemoney？“criedNat，lookingupwithastartledair。
　　“Yes。“
　　“ButIdon’tbelieveit!Youdon’tcareformoney；allyouwantisyouroldbugsandthings，“andNatlaughed，incredulously。
　　“Iwantabutterflynetasmuchasyouwantafiddle；whyshouldn’tIstealthemoneyforitasmuchasyou？“saidDan，stillturningaway，andbusilypunchingholesintheturfwithhisstick。
　　“Idon’tthinkyouwould。Youliketofightandknockfolksroundsometimes，butyoudon’tlie，andIdon’tbelieveyou’dsteal，“andNatshookhisheaddecidedly。
　　“I’vedoneboth。Iusedtofiblikefury；it’stoomuchtroublenow；
　　andIstolethingstoeatoutofgardenswhenIranawayfromPage，soyouseeIamabadlot，“saidDan，speakingintherough，recklesswaywhichhehadbeenlearningtodroplately。
　　“ODan!don’tsayit’syou!I’dratherhaveitanyoftheotherboys，“
　　criedNat，insuchadistressedtonethatDanlookedpleased，andshowedthathedid，byturningroundwithaqueerexpressioninhisface，thoughheonlyanswered，­；
　　“Iwon’tsayanythingaboutit。Butdon’tyoufret，andwe’llpullthroughsomehow，seeifwedon’t。“
　　SomethinginhisfaceandmannergaveNatanewidea；andhesaid，pressinghishandstogether，intheeagernessofhisappeal，­；
　　“Ithinkyouknowwhodidit。Ifyoudo，beghimtotell，Dan。It’ssohardtohave’emallhatemefornothing。Idon’tthinkIcanbearitmuchlonger。IfIhadanyplacetogoto，I’drunaway，thoughIlovePlumfielddearly；butI’mnotbraveandbiglikeyou，soImuststayandwaittillsomeoneshowsthemthatIhaven’tlied。“
　　Ashespoke，Natlookedsobrokenanddespairing，thatDancouldnotbearit，and，mutteredhuskily，­；
　　“Youwon’twaitlong，“andhewalkedrapidlyaway，andwasseennomoreforhours。
　　“WhatisthematterwithDan？“askedtheboysofoneanotherseveraltimesduringtheSundaythatfollowedaweekwhichseemedasifitwouldneverend。Danwasoftenmoody，butthatdayhewassosoberandsilentthatnoonecouldgetanythingoutofhim。Whentheywalkedhestrayedawayfromtherest，andcamehomelate。Hetooknopartintheeveningconversation，butsatintheshadow，sobusywithhisownthoughtsthathescarcelyseemedtohearwhatwasgoingon。WhenMrs。JoshowedhimanunusuallygoodreportintheConscienceBook，helookedatitwithoutasmile，andsaid，wistfully，­；
　　“YouthinkIamgettingon，don’tyou？“
　　“Excellently，Dan!andIamsopleased，becauseIalwaysthoughtyouonlyneededalittlehelptomakeyouaboytobeproudof。“
　　Helookedupatherwithastrangeexpressioninhisblackeyes­；anexpressionofmingledprideandloveandsorrowwhichshecouldnotunderstandthen­；butrememberedafterward。
　　“I’mafraidyou’llbedisappointed，butIdotry，“hesaid，shuttingthebookwithnosignofpleasureinthepagethatheusuallylikedsomuchtoreadoverandtalkabout。
　　“Areyousick，dear？“askedMrs。Jo，withherhandonhisshoulder。
　　“Myfootachesalittle；IguessI’llgotobed。Good-night，mother，“
　　headded，andheldthehandagainsthischeekaminute，thenwentawaylookingasifhehadsaidgood-byetosomethingdear。
　　“PoorDan!hetakesNat’sdisgracetoheartsadly。Heisastrangeboy；
　　IwonderifIevershallunderstandhimthoroughly？“saidMrs。Jotoherself，asshethoughtoverDan’slateimprovementwithrealsatisfaction，yetfeltthattherewasmoreintheladthanshehadatfirstsuspected。
　　OneofthingswhichcutNatmostdeeplywasanactofTommy’s，forafterhislossTommyhadsaidtohim，kindly，butfirmly，­；
　　“Idon’twishtohurtyou，Nat，butyouseeIcan’taffordtolosemymoney，soIguesswewon’tbepartnersanylonger；“andwiththatTommyrubbedoutthesign，“T。Bangs&；Co。“
　　Nathadbeenveryproudofthe“Co。，“andhadhuntedeggsindustriously，kepthisaccountsallstraight，andhadaddedagoodsumtohisincomefromthesaleofhisshareofstockintrade。
　　“OTom!mustyou？“hesaid，feelingthathisgoodnamewasgoneforeverinthebusinessworldifthiswasdone。
　　“Imust，“returnedTommy，firmly。“Emilsaysthatwhenoneman’bezzlesbelievethat’stheword­；itmeanstotakemoneyandcutawaywithit
　　thepropertyofafirm，theotheronesueshim，orpitchesintohimsomehow，andwon’thaveanythingmoretodowithhim。Nowyouhave’bezzledmyproperty；Ishan’tsueyou，andIshan’tpitchintoyou，butImustdissolvethepartnership，becauseIcan’ttrustyou，andIdon’twishtofail。“
　　“Ican’tmakeyoubelieveme，andyouwon’ttakemymoney，thoughI’dbethankfultogiveallmydollarsifyou’donlysayyoudon’tthinkI
　　tookyourmoney。Doletmehuntforyou，Iwon’taskanywages，butdoitfornothing。Iknowalltheplaces，andIlikeit，“pleadedNat。
　　ButTommyshookhishead，andhisjollyroundfacelookedsuspiciousandhardashesaid，shortly，“Can’tdoit；wishyoudidn’tknowtheplaces。
　　Mindyoudon’tgohuntingonthesly，andspeculateinmyeggs。“
　　PoorNatwassohurtthathecouldnotgetoverit。Hefeltthathehadlostnotonlyhispartnerandpatron，butthathewasbankruptinhonor，andanoutlawfromthebusinesscommunity。Noonetrustedhisword，writtenorspoken，inspiteofhiseffortstoredeemthepastfalsehood；thesignwasdown，thefirmbrokenup，andhearuinedman。Thebarn，whichwastheboys’WallStreet，knewhimnomore。Cockletopandhersisterscackledforhiminvain，andreallyseemedtotakehismisfortunetoheart，foreggswerefewer，andsomeofthebiddiesretiredindisgusttonewnests，whichTommycouldnotfind。
　　“Theytrustme，“saidNat，whenheheardofit；andthoughtheboysshoutedattheidea，Natfoundcomfortinit，forwhenoneisdownintheworld，theconfidenceofevenaspeckledhenismostconsoling。
　　Tommytooknonewpartner，however，fordistrusthadenteredin，andpoisonedthepeaceofhisonceconfidingsoul。Nedofferedtojoinhim，buthedeclined，saying，withasenseofjusticethatdidhimhonor，­；
　　“ItmightturnoutthatNatdidn’ttakemymoney，andthenwecouldbepartnersagain。Idon’tthinkitwillhappen，butIwillgivehimachance，andkeeptheplaceopenalittlelonger。“
　　BillywastheonlypersonwhomBangsfelthecouldtrustinhisshop，andBillywastrainedtohunteggs，andhandthemoverunbroken，beingquitesatisfiedwithanappleorasugar-plumforwages。ThemorningafterDan’sgloomySunday，Billysaidtohisemployer，ashedisplayedtheresultsofalonghunt，­；
　　“Onlytwo。“
　　“Itgetsworseandworse；Ineversawsuchprovokingoldhens，“growledTommy，thinkingofthedayswhenheoftenhadsixtorejoiceover。“Well，put’eminmyhatandgivemeanewbitofchalk；Imustmark’emup，anyway。“
　　Billymountedapeck-measure，andlookedintothetopofthemachine，whereTommykepthiswritingmaterials。
　　“There’slotsofmoneyinhere，“saidBilly。
　　“No，thereisn’t。Catchmeleavingmycashroundagain，“returnedTommy。
　　“Isee’em­；one，four，eight，twodollars，“persistedBilly，whohadnotyetmasteredthefigurescorrectly。
　　“Whatajackyouare!“andTommyhoppeduptogetthechalkforhimself，butnearlytumbleddownagain，forthereactuallywerefourbrightquartersinarow，withabitofpaperonthemdirectedto“TomBangs，“thattheremightbenomistake。
　　“Thunderturtles!“criedTommy，andseizingthemhedashedintothehouse，bawlingwildly，“It’sallright!Gotmymoney!Where’sNat？“
　　Hewassoonfound，andhissurpriseandpleasureweresogenuinethatfewdoubtedhiswordwhenhenowdeniedallknowledgeofthemoney。
　　“HowcouldIputitbackwhenIdidn’ttakeit？Dobelievemenow，andbegoodtomeagain，“hesaid，soimploringly，thatEmilslappedhimontheback，anddeclaredhewouldforone。
　　“SowillI，andI’mjollygladit’snotyou。Butwhothedickensisit？“saidTommy，aftershakinghandsheartilywithNat。
　　“Nevermind，aslongasit’sfound，“saidDanwithhiseyesfixedonNat’shappyface。
　　“Well，Ilikethat!I’mnotgoingtohavemythingshooked，andthenbroughtbacklikethejugglingman’stricks，“criedTommy，lookingathismoneyasifhesuspectedwitchcraft。
　　“We’llfindhimoutsomehow，thoughhewasslyenoughtoprintthissohiswritingwouldn’tbeknown，“saidFranz，examiningthepaper。
　　“Demiprintstip-top，“putinRob，whohadnotaveryclearideawhatthefusswasallabout。
　　“Youcan’tmakemebelieveit’shim，notifyoutalktillyouareblue，“
　　saidTommy，andtheothershootedatthemereidea；forthelittledeacon，astheycalledhim，wasabovesuspicion。
　　NatfeltthedifferenceinthewaytheyspokeofDemiandhimself，andwouldhavegivenallhehadoreverhopedtohavetobesotrusted；forhehadlearnedhoweasyitistolosetheconfidenceofothers，howvery，veryhardtowinitback，andtruthbecametohimapreciousthingsincehehadsufferedfromneglectingit。
　　Mr。Bhaerwasverygladonestephadbeentakenintherightdirection，andwaitedhopefullyforyetfurtherrevelations。Theycamesoonerthanheexpected，andinawaythatsurprisedandgrievedhimverymuch。Astheysatatsupperthatnight，asquareparcelwashandedtoMrs。BhaerfromMrs。Bates，aneighbor。Anoteaccompaniedtheparcel，and，whileMr。Bhaerreadit，Demipulledoffthewrapper，exclaiming，ashesawitscontents，­；
　　“Why，it’sthebookUncleTeddygaveDan!“
　　“Thedevil!“brokefromDan，forhehadnotyetquitecuredhimselfofswearing，thoughhetriedveryhard。
　　Mr。Bhaerlookedupquicklyatthesound。Dantriedtomeethiseyes，butcouldnot；hisownfell，andhesatbitinghislips，gettingredderandreddertillhewasthepictureofshame。
　　“Whatisit？“askedMrs。Bhaer，anxiously。
　　“Ishouldhavepreferredtotalkaboutthisinprivate，butDemihasspoiltthatplan，soImayaswellhaveitoutnow，“saidMr。Bhaer，lookingalittlestern，ashealwaysdidwhenanymeannessordeceitcameupforjudgment。
　　“ThenoteisfromMrs。Bates，andshesaysthatherboyJimmytoldherheboughtthisbookofDanlastSaturday。Shesawthatitwasworthmuchmorethanadollar，andthinkingtherewassomemistake，hassentittome。Didyousellit，Dan？“
　　“Yes，sir，“wastheslowanswer。
　　“Why？“
　　“Wantedmoney。“
　　“Forwhat？“
　　“Topaysomebody。“
　　“Towhomdidyouoweit？“
　　“Tommy。“
　　“Neverborrowedacentofmeinhislife，“criedTommy，lookedscared，forheguessedwhatwascomingnow，andfeltthatonthewholehewouldhavepreferredwitchcraft，forheadmiredDanimmensely。
　　“Perhapshetookit，“criedNed，whoowedDanagrudgefortheducking，and，beingamortalboy，likedtopayitoff。
　　“ODan!“criedNat，claspinghishands，regardlessofthebreadandbutterinthem。
　　“Itisahardthingtodo，butImusthavethissettled，forIcannothaveyouwatchingeachotherlikedetectives，andthewholeschooldisturbedinthisway。didyouputthatdollarinthebarnthismorning？“askedMr。