I would sooner lose all my spoons ten times over than find that he had yielded to a sudden and irresistible temptation." "But," said Thad, in sore perplexity, "the three spoons are gone, there's no doubt about that; and if Owen didn't take them who did ?" "Please let the matter drop," expostulated the old lady, hastily.

"I am satisfied to know the boy is innocent.

I shall immediately put the rest of my spoons away, so that they may not tempt any one again." "But it wouldn't be right to give the hunt up so easily as that, you know, lady," complained Thad.

"We've started in to find the thief, and our motto is never to turn back once we've put our hands to the plough.
Hugh, don't you say the same ?" "I certainly do," affirmed the other boy.

"And while about it, perhaps I ought to tell Mrs.Pangborn how I at one time even began to imagine the thief was a thing of green and yellow feathers, and a hooked bill, otherwise known as Pretty Polly." At that, the old lady seemed highly interested.
"Oh! such a thought never occurred to me, Hugh!" she hastily exclaimed.
"Could it be possible, do you think ?" and she glanced apprehensively toward the corner of the library, where the handsome and intelligent parrot sat on her perch, chained by the leg, and with her yellow-crowned head turned on one side as though she might be listening to all that was being said.
"It is a bare possibility," Hugh went on to say.