"Now," said Aunt Martha, when the door had been closed, "these men have freely told us their stories; whether they are entirely true or not, must, of course, be a matter of opinion; but they have laid their cases before us, and we should not place them all in the hands of the officers of the law without giving them due consideration, and arriving at a decision which shall be satisfactory to ourselves." "Let us take them in order," said I. "What do you think of the tall man's case?" "I think he is a thief and manufacturer of falsehoods," said my wife promptly. "I am afraid," said Aunt Martha, "that he is not altogether innocent; but there is one thing greatly in his favour,--when he told of the feelings which overcame him when he saw that little child sleeping peacefully in its bed in the house which he had unintentionally robbed, I felt there must be good points in that man's nature. What do you think of him?" "I think he is worst of the lot," I answered, "and as there are now two votes against him, he must go to the lock-up. And now what of the stout fellow?" I asked. "Oh, he is a burglar by his own confession," said my wife; "there can be no doubt of that." "I am afraid you are right," said Aunt Martha. "I know she is," said I, "and James Barlow, or whatever his name may be, shall be delivered to the constable." "Of course, there can be no difference of opinion in regard to the young man," said Aunt Martha quickly. "Both the others admitted that he had nothing to do with this affair except as a journalist, and although I do not think he ought to get his realistic ideas in that way, I would consider it positively wicked to send him into court in company with those other men. Consider the position in which he would be placed before the world. Consider his young wife." "I cannot say," said my wife, "that I am inclined to believe all parts of his story." "I suppose," said I, laughing, "that you particularly refer to the invisible dog-snake." "I'm not so sure about all that," she answered. "Since the labours of the psychic researchers began, we have heard of a great many strange things; but it is evident that he is a young man of education and culture, and in all probability a journalist or literary man. I do not think he should be sent to the lock-up with common criminals." "There!" cried Aunt Martha, "two in his favour. He must be released. It's a poor rule that does not work both ways."