corporation which had used the mails illegally to further its nefarious
schemes. A third account asserted he had insured his life for a million
dollars in favor of his daughter, Mrs. Burrows, and then established a
false death and reappeared after Mrs. Burrows had collected the
insurance money.

Having printed all this prominently in big type, the editor appended a
brief note in small type saying he would not vouch for the truth of any
statement made in the foregoing article. Nevertheless, it was a terrible
arraignment and greatly shocked the good citizens of Beverly.

Miss Stearne, realizing how humiliated Mary Louise would be if the
newspaper fell into her hands, carefully hid her copy away where none of
the girls could see it; but one of the day scholars brought a copy to
the school Thursday morning and passed it around among the girls, so
that all were soon in possession of the whole scandalous screed.

Mable Westervelt, after feasting upon the awful accusations, cruelly
handed the paper to Mary Louise. The girl's face blanched and then grew
red, her mouth fell open as if gasping for breath and her eyes stared
with a pained, hopeless expression at the printed page that branded her
dearly loved Gran'pa Jim a swindler and a thief. She rose quickly and
left the room, to the great relief of the other girls, who wanted to
talk the matter over.

"The idea," cried Mable indignantly, "of that old villain's foisting his
grandchild on this respectable school while he ran away to escape the
penalty of his crimes!"

"Mary Louise is all right," asserted Jennie Allen stoutly. "She isn't to