“Some girl!” exclaimed Jo. “But she isn’t as keen as I thought, or she’d have known you didn’t take the ring.”

“Jo, do you believe—”

“Shucks, honey! I know you didn’t. I wouldn’t believe you did if I saw you take it. Here, little girl—”

He stopped, put his arm around her, lifted the little face and kissed the tears from it.

“What’s matter with you?”

“Jo, I didn’t take it!”

“Don’t I know you didn’t, honey!”

“It’s nice in you to know it, Jo. But—suppose, I had taken it—”

“I’d have given it back and rustled around till I could have bought you the biggest diamond in Chicago.”

“Who do you suppose did take it, Jo?”