to be home in his own den a free man! They felt mazed to see him among
'em, so cheerful and full of talk as if he'd been away for a holiday. And
Joseph wondered a lot and felt it on the tip of his tongue to name the
past and express friendly hopes for the future. But he didn't, and it
weren't till he saw 'Santa Claus' down to the gate on his way home, that
the little chap spoke.

"Say nought and try to forget," he said. "You done your duty and that's
all the best and worst of us can do. Be my friend, for I've got but few."

Then he was gone, and Joseph woke to a surer trust in humanity and felt
our common nature crying to him to believe it; while his own policeman's
nature warned him to do no such thing. He talked far into the night with
his wife; but she was all for believing.

"Us be Christians," said Minnie, "and well we know how the Lord works.
He's come to right thinking by chastisement, and his heart's softened and
never will I believe a man as loves the little ones like him be so very
bad. He's paid for what he done and, if he wants to forget and forgive,
'tis everybody's place to do the same."

"That sounds all right," granted Joseph. "And who be I to say he's not a
repentant man? But--you didn't see his face, with ten devils staring out
of his eyes, when I took him."

"Us'll watch and pray for him," answered Minnie. "My heart tells me the
poor man won't fall again."

And they left it at that and Minnie prayed and Joseph watched; and the
woman triumphed over her husband a good bit as time went on, for Teddy