So it was left for that day, and by the next, Miss Celia had made up her mind to speak to Ben. She was just going down to breakfast when the sound of loud voices made her pause and listen. It came from Ben's room, where the two boys seemed to be disputing about something. "I hope Thorny has kept his promise," she thought, and hurried through the back entry, fearing a general explosion. Ben's chamber was at the end, and she could see and hear what was going on before she was near enough to interfere. Ben stood against his closet door looking as fierce and red as a turkey-cock; Thorny sternly confronted him, saying in an excited tone, and with a threatening gesture: "You are hiding something in there, and you can't deny it." "I don't." "Better not; I insist on seeing it." "Well, you wont." "What have you been stealing now?" "Didn't steal it,--used to be mine,--I only took it when I wanted it." "I know what that means. You'd better give it back or I'll make you." "Stop!" cried a third voice, as Thorny put out his arm to clutch Ben, who looked ready to defend himself to the last gasp. "Boys, I will settle this affair. _Is_ there anything hidden in the closet, Ben?" and Miss Celia came between the belligerent parties with her one hand up to part them. [Illustration: MISS CELIA BECOMES PEACE-MAKER.] Thorny fell back at once, looking half ashamed of his heat, and Ben briefly answered, with a gulp as if shame or anger made it hard to speak steadily: "Yes'm, there is." "Does it belong to you?" "Yes'm, it does." "Where did you get it?" "Up to Squire's." "That's a lie!" muttered Thorny to himself. Ben's eye flashed, and his fist doubled up in spite of him, but he restrained himself out of respect to Miss Celia, who looked puzzled, as she asked another question, not quite sure how to proceed with the investigation: "Is it money, Ben?" "No'm, it isn't." "Then what _can_ it be?" "Meow!" answered a fourth voice from the closet, and as Ben flung open the door a gray kitten walked out, purring with satisfaction at her release. Miss Celia fell into a chair and laughed till her eyes were full; Thorny looked foolish, and Ben folded his arms, curled up his nose, and regarded his accuser with calm defiance, while pussy sat down to wash her face as if her morning toilette had been interrupted by her sudden abduction. "That's all very well, but it doesn't mend matters much, so you needn't laugh, Celia," began Thorny, recovering himself, and stubbornly bent on sifting the case to the bottom, now he had begun. "Well, it would, if you'd let a feller alone. She said she wanted a cat, so I went and got the one they gave me when I was at the Squire's. I went early and took her without asking, and I had a right to," explained Ben, much aggrieved by having his surprise spoiled.