“Answer, Danny,” ordered his father. “Is this true?”
“Yes—yes, sir,” mumbled Danny. “I went there to look for my ring. I—I thought it might have been in the snowball.”
“Did you throw the snowball that broke the church window?” asked Mr. Rugg in stern tones.
Danny hung his head and was silent.
“Better own up and tell the truth,” said the deacon more gently.
“Oh, I did it! Yes, I did it!” and Danny burst out crying. “I didn’t mean to, but I broke the window. I was trying to throw over the church, but my hand slipped and the ball went through the window.
“Then, right after that, I missed my ring. First I thought it had dropped off. But when it wasn’t found I thought maybe it had stuck to the snowball and gone inside the church. So I went in to look.
“I went in once before, but I heard a noise and I ran out. That was when Bert fell down the trapdoor.”
“Is that so, Bert?” asked the deacon.
“Yes, sir,” was the answer. “I didn’t want to say why I went in the church, though, until I could be sure what Danny wanted in there.”