“I'll tell you, doctor,” said the boy quickly. “I've been thinking about this very hard; and I don't think it would do much good to expose and punish any one. That only leads to bitterness and hatred--and we oughtn't to hate any person, you know.” “Ah!” said the doctor with relief. “The point is, the wicked thing that's been done. It's this robbing of the people that must be stopped! And it's the things that have been stolen!--Let me give you an example. To-day I met the man who came here with me to rob your house; and I learned for the first time that he had carried off some of your silver.” “Yes,” said the other. “And the man asked me to say nothing about what he had done, and I promised. I felt about him just as you do about your brother-in-law--I wouldn't denounce him and put him in jail. But I saw right away that I must do one thing--I must make him return the things he had stolen! That was right, was it not, doctor?” “Yes,” said Dr. Vince promptly, “that was right.” “Very well,” said the boy; “and the same thing is true about Mr. Hickman. He has robbed the people. He has got a franchise that enables him and the Lockman estate to make about ten thousand dollars a month out of the public. And they must give up that franchise! They must give up every dollar that they have made out of it! That is the whole story as I see it--nothing else counts but that. You can make all the fuss you want about bribery and graft, but you haven't accomplished anything unless you get back the stolen money.” There was a pause. “Don't you see what I mean, doctor?” asked Samuel. “Yes,” was the reply, “I see.” “Well?” said Samuel. “It would be no use to try it,” said the doctor. “They would never do it.” “They wouldn't?” “No. Nothing in the world could make them do it.” “Not even if we threatened to denounce them?” “No; not even then.” “Not even if we put them in jail?” Dr. Vince made no reply. The other sat waiting. And then suddenly he said in a low voice, “Doctor, I mean to MAKE them give it up. I see it quite clearly now--that is my duty. They must give it up!” Again there was silence. “Dr. Vince,” cried the boy in a voice of pain, “you surely mean to help me!” And suddenly the doctor shut his lips together tightly. “No, Samuel,” he said. “I do not!” The boy sat dumb. He felt a kind of faintness come over him. “You will leave me all alone?” he said in a weak voice. The other made no reply. “Am I not right?” cried the boy wildly. “Have I not spoken the truth?” “I don't know,” the doctor answered. “It is too hard a question for me to answer. I only know that I do not feel such things to be in my province; and I will not have anything to do with them.” “But, doctor, you are the representative of the church!” “Yes. And I must attend to the affairs of the church.” “But is it no affair of the church that the people are being robbed?” There was no reply. “You give out charity!” protested Samuel.