After Nan and Rob's misadventure, Jo hoped for some quiet, trouble-free days. And things did remain peaceful until Tommy's hens caused a problem. Tommy had been steadily earning money from selling their eggs. But he spent his money so recklessly that Mr. Bauer insisted he start saving it.
The professor gave Tommy a bank that was shaped like a miniature house. "After you've saved five dollars, you may open the bank, but you must spend the money wisely."
Tommy soon had four dollars in the bank, which he kept under his bed. When Jo paid him another dollar for eggs, Tommy rushed to the barn to show Nat.
"Look at these!" Tommy said, displaying four quarters.
"Oh, I wish I had that dollar." Nat was still Tommy's partner in the egg business, but he always had fewer eggs to sell than Tommy. "I'd add it to the money I'm saving for a violin."
"I have five dollars now, but I haven't decided how to spend it." Tommy tossed the shiny quarters in the air and caught them. "Maybe I'll lend you some."
"Hey, everybody!" a voice called from outside the barn. "Dan just caught a huge snake!"
"Come on, let's go!" Tommy was in too much of a hurry to put his money in his bank, so he hid the quarters under an old feed sack in the barn.
The interesting snake made Tommy forget about his quarters until bedtime. "I'll get them tomorrow," he said to himself. "Nobody except Nat knows where they're hidden anyway."
The next morning Tommy rushed into the schoolroom, crying, "Hey, which one of you has my money?"
"What are you talking about?" Demi asked.
Tommy described how he'd hidden the quarters under the old feed sack.
"That's right," Nat said. "I saw him do it."
"Somebody must have stolen the money," Jack said.
"When I find out who did it," Tommy said, "I'll—"
"Stay calm," Dan interrupted. "We'll figure this out because thieves usually give themselves away."
"What's all this about thieves?" the professor asked, coming into the schoolroom.
Tommy explained the situation again. When he reached the part about hiding the money, everyone looked at Nat.
"I know you think I stole it, but I didn't!" Nat cried, his face turning red.
"Take your seats," Mr. Bauer said. "I'm going to ask each of you a question, and I want an honest answer. Don't make things worse for yourself by lying."
Mr. Bauer questioned the boys one by one, and each boy denied taking the money. Finally it was Nat's turn.
"Now, my boy, please give me an honest answer," the professor said. "Did you take the money?"
"No, sir."
Nat looked so miserable that the professor felt some compassion for him. But Mr. Bauer also knew that Nat had a history of lying, especially to keep himself out of trouble.
"I'm very sorry, Nat, but the evidence is against you," the professor said gravely. "And the lies you've told in the past cause me to doubt you now. I'll give you another chance to tell the truth, if you want one. That's up to you and your conscience."
"I didn't take the money . . . I didn't!" Nat sobbed. He hung his head in shame because he couldn't bear to look at his friends.
For the next week, Nat suffered a kind of slow torture as the other boys ignored him. Jo was as kind as ever, but she seemed disappointed in him. And the sad look in the professor's eyes broke Nat's heart because he loved his teacher dearly.
One person who still believed in Nat was Daisy. When Nat played his fiddle, Daisy sat by his side. She made him special treats in her kitchen and brought him flowers from her garden.
Dan also jumped to Nat's defense whenever anyone criticized him. After a while some of the boys began to doubt that Nat had taken the money. A rumor started circulating that Dan was behind the theft.
One afternoon Nat encountered Dan watching insects gliding over the surface of the brook.
"Thanks for sticking up for me," Nat said to his old friend. "I'm sorry that some people are accusing you of being the thief."
Dan turned away from Nat, tossing a stone into the brook. "How do you know they're not right?"
"Because you don't care about money!" Nat said fiercely. "All you're interested in are bugs and rocks and things."
"I want a butterfly net as much as you want a fiddle," Dan said. "Why wouldn't I steal the money for it?"
"You like to fight sometimes, but I don't believe you'd lie or steal."
"Well, I've done both," Dan said, throwing another stone into the water. "I used to lie all the time, and I stole things to eat when I ran away from Mr. Page."
"Oh, Dan, tell me it's not you!" Nat said in distress.
"It's not me," Dan replied. "But don't worry—we'll figure out who the real culprit is."
Nat studied Dan's face and said slowly, "I think you already know who it is. If you do, beg him to tell the truth because I don't think I can stand this much longer. If I were as brave as you are, I'd run away. But I'm not, so I have to wait for someone to tell the truth."
"You won't have to wait much longer," Dan said, and then he quickly walked away and wasn't seen for hours.