"Yet you say you are still suspicious of this man and boy."
"Yes."
"Explain your grounds."
"I thought," replied the president, rather meekly, "he might have taken the bonds from the box and put in other papers."
"That was not very probable. Moreover, he would hardly be likely to leave the box in the village in the charge of a boy."
"The boy might have been his confederate."
"What is the boy's reputation in the village? Has he ever been detected in any act of dishonesty?"
"Not that I know of, but there is one suspicious circumstance to which I would like to call your attention."
"Well?"
"Since this happened Luke has come out in new clothes, and wears a silver watch. The family is very poor, and he could not have had money to buy them unless he obtained some outside aid."