"What would you recommend as his sentence?" asked the Judge. "Sentence?" repeated Peace, with the uncomfortable feeling that she was being laughed at. "Punishment, I mean." "A good, sound thrashing that ain't all show and no hurt," was the harsh verdict. "Very well! I will administer it now. Len, hand me that strap. Hector, come here!" Leonard passed the strap to his father, the younger son shuffled across the porch to receive his sentence, and Peace stood breathlessly by, watching with frightened eyes. The Judge raised the strip of leather and brought it down with a resounding thwack across the boy's legs. He squirmed, let out a wild yell, and began to blubber. The strap rose and fell the second time, there was a second yell, and Peace, with blazing eyes and blanched face, flew in between man and boy, snatched the upraised strap and flung it clear across the room, screaming in fierce indignation, "Don't you touch him again! You're a pretty kind of a judge! Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" "You sentenced him yourself," stammered the surprised man. "Well, I'll let him off this time," she replied slowly, "but he will have to pay for those melons." "How much?" "A dollar each." "Whew! They are pretty expensive fruit, aren't they?" "I've put more'n a dollar's worth of trouble into getting them ready for the Fair, and now he's et up my blue ribbon." "Your blue ribbon?" "Yes, maybe those melons would have won a blue ribbon. Now I'll never know." "Well, well, that's too bad," sympathized the amused Judge. "Hector will have to pay for them, surely. Son, go get the money out of your bank." "I didn't eat all of them. Jimmy Jones and Ted Fenton and the Beldon boys helped," said Hector, wiping his eyes sullenly. "You can c'lect from them later," retorted Peace. "You were at the head of it, I know." "Get the money, son," repeated the father sternly, and the unhappy boy thought it wise to obey without further demur. When the two silver dollars were laid in her hand Peace smiled her relief, and with a curt "Thank you," turned to go, when to the utter amazement of the whole family, she whirled suddenly about and confronted Hector again, saying calmly, "While I am here, I might as well c'lect for that cake you stole more'n a year ago." "Cake?" echoed the group, while the boy's face grew scarlet with guilt once more. "Yes, cake! We thought my tramp took it at first. Faith made it for the minister's reception and put it on the wash-bench under a dishpan to cool. 'Twas gone when she went to get it again. Hec stole it." "Hector, did you?" The boy nodded, too miserable to speak. "How much was that worth, Peace?" "It was bigger'n a fifty-cent one. I guess it will be seventy-five cents." "Get your bank and settle your account, Hector." And once more the boy was forced to obey.