"They say Tommy Winters will steal; but of course you haven't been near him?"
Preston dropped his knife and fork suddenly, and blushed. His mother saw it; but his father did not, for he was hurrying out of the house to visit a patient.
All that afternoon poor Preston was in trouble. He told the boys about it, but nobody could help him; and, as for Tommy Winters, he was nowhere to be seen.
Finally, after tea, he stole up to his best friend, his mother, and exclaimed, shaking his fist,—
"Tommy Winters has got my gold dollar, mamma. Tell you what, he stole it out of my pocket when I was swimming."
"Swimming, Preston?"
"Yes'm: you see he made me go."
"Made you, my son?"
Preston hung his head.
"Well, he marched me down to the brook, he did."