“Tell me what you know of this,” he said, very kindly; “but first let me caution you. If you are the guilty boy this witness makes you out, I have no power or right to make you accuse yourself. Be careful what you say; innocent or guilty, you shall have a fair trial.”
“I will answer everything, only please tell me what is it you want to know?”
“You have heard the charge. You know what this young man has been saying. Is it true?”
“Yes, sir, I heard every word he said. Some of it was true, and some wasn’t,” answered the boy, lifting his honest eyes to the magistrate’s face.
“How much of it, then, was true?”
“He did give me the store key, sir, and I was left home to take care of things.”
Here the boy faltered a little, and his eyes fell, his manly little heart refused to own that he was left in care of a girl baby before all those people.
“Well, what did you do after that?”
“I tried to fasten the door inside, but the bar was gone, so I left it as it was, locked but not barred, and went up stairs.”
“Who was with you then?”