On his way home Frank, too, looked in at the Tramp House, and saw the broken-down table, and hunted for the missing leg, and with Tom concluded that something unusual had taken place there, though he could not guess what.

That evening, as Jerrie grew more and more restless and talkative, Mrs. Crawford listened anxiously for the train, and when it came, waited and watched for Harold, but watched in vain, for Harold did not come.  Several of her neighbors, however, did come; those who had gone to the city out of curiosity to attend the lawsuit, and ’see old Peterkin squirm and hear him swear;’ and could she have looked into the houses in the village that night, she would have heard some startling news, for almost before the train rolled away from the platform, everybody at or near the station had been told that Mrs. Tracy’s diamonds, lost nine or ten years ago, had been found in Harold Hastings’ pocket, and that he was under arrest.

Such news travels fast, and it reached the Park House just as the family were finishing their late dinner.

’I told you so!  I always thought he was guilty, or knew something about them,’ Mrs. Frank exclaimed, with a look of exultation on her face as she turned to her husband.  ’What do you think now of your fine young man, who has been hanging around here after your daughter until she is half-betwaddled after him?’

Frank’s face was very grave as he answered, decidedly: 

‘I do not believe it.  Harold Hastings never took your diamonds.’

‘How came he by them, then?’ she asked, in a loud, angry voice.

‘I don’t know,’ her husband replied; ’there is some mistake; it will be cleared in time.  But keep it from Maude; I think the news would kill her.’

Meantime Tom had sat with his brows knit together, as if intently thinking; and when at last he spoke he said to his father: 

’I shall go to Springfield on the ten o’clock train, and you’d better go with me.’

To this Frank made no objections.  If his wife’s diamonds were really found, he ought to be there to receive them; and, besides, he might say a word in Harold’s defence, if necessary.  So ten o’clock found him and Tom at the station, where also was Dick St. Claire, with several other young men, pacing up and down the platform and excitedly discussing the news, of which they did not believe a word.

’I almost feel as if they were hurting me when they touch Hal, he’s such a noble fellow,’ Dick said to Mr. Tracy and Tom.  ’We are all as mad as can be, and so a lot of us fellows, who have always known him, are going over to speak a good word for him, and go his bail if necessary.  I don’t believe, though, they can do anything after all these years; but father will know.  He is there with him.’

And so the night train to Springfield carried fourteen men from Shannondale, thirteen of whom were going to stand by Harold, while the fourteenth hardly knew why he was going or what he believed.  Arrived in the city, their first inquiry was for Harold, who, instead of being in the charge of an officer as they had feared, was quietly sleeping in his room at the hotel, while Judge St. Claire had the diamonds in his possession.