“Why, mos’ly it was too small, an’ so I des’ kep’ it in a ol’ sock.  I tol’ Fannie dat some day ef de bank did n’t bus’ wid all de res’ I had, I ‘d put it in too.  She was allus sayin’ it was too much to have layin’ ‘roun’ de house.  But I des’ tol’ huh dat no robber was n’t goin’ to bothah de po’ niggah down in de ya’d wid de rich white man up at de house.  But fin’lly I listened to huh an’ sposited it yistiddy.”

“You ’re a liar! you ’re a liar, you black thief!” Oakley broke in impetuously.  “You have learned your lesson well, but you can’t cheat me.  I know where that money came from.”

“Calm yourself, Mr. Oakley, calm yourself.”

“I will not calm myself.  Take him away.  He shall not stand here and lie to me.”

Berry had suddenly turned ashen.

“You say you know whaih dat money come f’om?  Whaih?”

“You stole it, you thief, from my brother Frank’s room.”

“Stole it!  My Gawd, Mistah Oakley, you believed a thing lak dat aftah all de yeahs I been wid you?”

“You ’ve been stealing all along.”

“Why, what shell I do?” said the servant helplessly.  “I tell you, Mistah Oakley, ask Fannie.  She ‘ll know how long I been a-savin’ dis money.”

“I ’ll ask no one.”

“I think it would be better to call his wife, Oakley.”

“Well, call her, but let this matter be done with soon.”

Fannie was summoned, and when the matter was explained to her, first gave evidences of giving way to grief, but when the detective began to question her, she calmed herself and answered directly just as her husband had.

“Well posted,” sneered Oakley.  “Arrest that man.”

Berry had begun to look more hopeful during Fannie’s recital, but now the ashen look came back into his face.  At the word “arrest” his wife collapsed utterly, and sobbed on her husband’s shoulder.

“Send the woman away.”

“I won’t go,” cried Fannie stoutly; “I ’ll stay right hyeah by my husband.  You sha’n’t drive me away f’om him.”

Berry turned to his employer.  “You b’lieve dat I stole f’om dis house aftah all de yeahs I ‘ve been in it, aftah de caih I took of yo’ money an’ yo’ valybles, aftah de way I ’ve put you to bed f’om many a dinnah, an’ you woke up to fin’ all yo’ money safe?  Now, can you b’lieve dis?”

His voice broke, and he ended with a cry.

“Yes, I believe it, you thief, yes.  Take him away.”

Berry’s eyes were bloodshot as he replied, “Den, damn you! damn you! ef dat ‘s all dese yeahs counted fu’, I wish I had a-stoled it.”

Oakley made a step forward, and his man did likewise, but the officer stepped between them.

“Take that damned hound away, or, by God!  I ’ll do him violence!”

The two men stood fiercely facing each other, then the handcuffs were snapped on the servant’s wrist.

“No, no,” shrieked Fannie, “you must n’t, you must n’t.  Oh, my Gawd! he ain ’t no thief.  I ‘ll go to Mis’ Oakley.  She nevah will believe it.”  She sped from the room.