"My sermon! The cause of it! I don't understand you, Brother Bacon!" Mr. Carleton exclaimed, in his bewilderment. "Why, didn't you know Ray Branford is now in the lockup, arrested for the burglary of Friday night?" asked Mr. Bacon, in his turn surprised. "I certainly did not," his pastor answered. "I saw he was not here, as usual, but had no idea of the cause. Unwittingly, then, I have given my people the impression that I believe he is guilty." "The most of them came here already believing him guilty, I fear," replied Mr. Bacon; "and of course your sermon would seem to them to indicate that you held the same opinion." "What do _you_ think?" asked Mr. Carleton, quickly. "That I will not condemn the boy untried and unconvicted," gravely answered Mr. Bacon. Mr. Carleton shook hands with him again warmly, and then he said: "Immediately after dinner I will go over to the lockup to see the boy. He must sadly stand in need of friends now. Will you go with me, Brother Bacon?" "Yes. Stop as you pass the house, and I'll be ready," was the hearty reply. One other there was who had not heard of Ray's arrest. It was his teacher, Miss Squire. Detained at home from the morning preaching service by her mother's sudden illness, she came hastily into the Sunday-school, ignorant of the whole sad affair. Looking around on her boys, and noticing Ray's absence from the class for the first time since the memorable Sunday more than a year ago, when he had first become a scholar, she asked, innocently: "Do any of you know why Ray is not here to-day? Was he at church?" The boys looked curiously at each other, and then one of them answered: "No, ma'am; I rather guess he wasn't; for he's in the lockup, arrested for robbing Shephard's store Friday night." Miss Squire did not answer a word, but looked steadily at her boys for a few minutes, as though she would read their souls; then, with a sigh, she took up the lesson for the day. But as soon as the school closed she went directly to her pastor, and, with tears in her eyes, she asked: "You have heard about poor Ray?" "Yes," he briefly replied, and looked sadly down into her upturned face: Then suddenly, as if reading there something he longed to see, he added: "But you at least do not regard him as guilty, neither does Mr. Bacon; and we shall go down to see him directly after dinner." "Would it be out of place for me to take father with me and visit him also?" she asked. "No; to my mind it would be a Christ-like thing to do," he gladly replied. "I was in prison, and ye visited me," he added, softly. She nodded, too overcome to reply in words, and then hastened home to prepare for her visit.