“Lem,” said Henrietta seriously, “you don't understand what all this means. I'm trying to help you. If Miss Susan keeps on thinking you stole her money she will send you away. She'll send you to jail and to reform school and you'll be sad and unhappy all your life. I want you to be happy--” “I 'll bust out of jail if she sends me, drat her old hide!” Lem declared. “No; you can't. You'll be watched every minute. Boys never do break out of jail, Lem. They just stay there and are _so_ miserable. So what I want to do is to help you now. So you need n't be sent away at all.” “If she won't send me I'm goin'away, anyway,” Lem declared. “I won't stay in any old house with such an old hyena pickin' on me all the time.” “Miss Susan doesn't understand you, Lem, and you don't understand her. But that does n't matter now. If you go away you must not go with the name of a thief fastened on you--” The door opened and Freeman Todder came into the room. “Look here,” he said angrily, “I want my pants. I won't stand any nonsense. You give them to me.” “You're insane!” said Henrietta. “I know nothing about them.” “Oh! that's it, is it?” he said. “All right!” He began searching the room. “Well, I ain't a thief, an' I don't care who says I am,” Lem was saying. “I did n't take her old money. She took mine, an' she's an old thief, an' I'll tell her so to her face. An' I'll make her give it back to me. I 'll set the police on her.” “Listen, Lem, won't you please try to help me? Won't you tell me where you got that money?” “No, I won't!” the boy declared stubbornly. “But I 'll tell her who stole her money. I 'll tell her _he_ stole it, an' when she searches him she'll find it.” “I 'll be hanged if she will, unless she finds my pants,” Freeman growled. “If you won't help me, I can't help you, Lem,” said Henrietta. “Just to tell on Mr. Todder will not help at all. Won't you just whisper to me where you got the money?” “No, I won't! I'd rather be killed first!” Freeman was throwing articles of clothing from Henrietta's closet upon the bedroom floor. She hardly glanced at him. “Of course! I know where you got the money, Lem,” she said. “Your father gave it to you. Is n't that so?” She saw the startled look in the boy's eyes. “I won't say, I tell you!” he declared. “Then your father did give it to you?” “I won't tell you!” “And I can tell Miss Susan your father gave it to you?” “No. He said--no; I won't tell you who gave it to me! I won't tell you what he said!” “What did your father say?” “I won't tell you what he said! None of your old business what he said!” “I see!” said Henrietta. “Your father is going away and he gave you the money to follow him. Is that it?” “I won't tell you!”