CHAPTER XIV.
BERT STANDS TRIAL.
Percy went to bed early, and heard nothing of Bert's arrest for the theft which he had himself committed till at the breakfast table the next morning his father said: "Well, young Barton has got into a bad scrape."
"What is it, father?" asked Percy, pricking up his ears.
"He is charged with stealing a twenty-dollar bill from Mr. Jones, the store-keeper."
This was certainly amazing, and Percy, in his agitation, nearly choked with some coffee that went the wrong way.
"Be more careful, Percy!" said his mother sharply.
"I was so surprised, mother, at what father told me," apologized Percy.
"I don't know why you need be surprised," said Mrs. Marlowe. "I never had a very good opinion of the boy."