She laid it on the mantel an' it was gone, an' she said as Lucy took it.

Lucy didn't take it, an' after they'd tried to make my gal confess as she was a thief they give 'er three days to hand up the ring or the money it was worth, or else they'd hev her arrested and sent t' jail.

Lucy didn't take it, ye know.

She jes' _couldn't_ do sech a thing, natcherly." "I know," said Beth, sympathetically.
"So she comes home, heartbroken, an' told us about it, an' we didn't hev th' money nuther.

It were sixty dollars they wanted, or th' ring; an' we didn't hev neither of 'em." "Of course not." "Well, Tom come over thet night to see Lucy, hearin' she was home, an'-- " "Who is Tom ?" "Thet's Tom Gates, him thet--but I'm comin' to thet, miss.