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She uttered this with such feeling that Abner began to make plans to carry Tug back to the Scovell House. The youth nodded apprehensively.

"An' we've been too leenient with that stinking rascal, Peck Bradley! Do you know what Tug said to me? He said, 'Miss Roxie, I always meant to throw my influence on the right side,' he shore said it; he whispered it to me." Tears came into the old woman's eyes.

Abner caught his breath at this volte-face of what he had expected. All he could do was simply to stare at Mrs. Biggers, wondering what would come next.

"Did you know that?"

Abner nodded, "Yes, that's what he always tol' me, too."

"Why in the name of creation didn't you tell it!"

"Well, I—I don't know," stammered Abner now that her wrath apparently had switched to him.

"Why, that would uh proved this shootin' wasn't the Lord's work!" stormed the old woman, "because you know, Abner Teeftaller, God judges a mortal by what's in his heart, not by what he does!"

"Yeh, that's right," nodded Abner hastily.

"Well, don't that show you God didn't have a thing in the worl' to do with the shootin' of Tug Beavers! It's nothin' but the wickedness of that low-down murderer down yonder in the lock-up, Peck Bradley! It's him an' nobody but him!"

"Yes, I always thought that!" Abner nodded his head sidewise, which indicated great earnestness.

"You should of spoke up if you thought it!" she reproved sharply. "Here we are, lettin' that stinkin' Peck Bradley git up his plea of self-defence—an' he'll git out on it, too, as shore as you're a foot high, if we ever let his case fall into the han's of the law!" She shook a skinny finger under Abner's nose.

Certain nebulous but disquieting implications lurked in the old woman's phrase. Abner stared at her intently, breathing through his open mouth.