That this money should have been Betty's of all
people, and that it was now her duty to stand up and confess her mistake
before her friends.
Polly set her teeth, the circle of girls revolved before her eyes, she
had been worrying too much to be either reasonable or well. And at any
moment Edith Norton might demand that she step forward and take the oath
which was meant to proclaim that she had had nothing to do with the loss
of Betty's money. Truly she did not understand that the charge had been
directed against poor Nan, so watching her opportunity Polly slipped
away without being noticed.
When Nan Graham's name was called from the center of the circle the
silence was oppressive. But the girl rose up quietly, pushing her
coarse black hair from her face, and as quietly walked forward to the
cone-shaped rock where the two arrows were still standing fixed in the
ground. Before laying her hand on these objects, however, she stood
perfectly still for a moment, letting her accusing eyes sweep from the
face of one of her girl judges to the other and then, touching the stone
and the arrows, came back quickly to her old place. Not till then did
she betray how deeply the atmosphere of distrust and unfaith had hurt
her, but when Betty's arm came round her for the second time, she burst
into weeping, hiding her face on Betty's shoulder, and hearing her
whisper comfortingly: "I believe with all my heart that you know nothing
of my wretched money, Nan, and I beg your pardon if I even made you
think I suspected you.
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