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Microscope Image Processing 1st Edition Qiang Wu
Digital Instant Download
Author(s): Qiang Wu, Fatima Merchant, Kenneth Castleman
ISBN(s): 9780123725783, 012372578X
Edition: 1
File Details: PDF, 13.34 MB
Year: 2008
Language: english
 Microscope
Image Processing
This page intentionally left blank
 Microscope
Image Processing

Qiang Wu
Fatima A. Merchant
Kenneth R. Castleman

AMSTERDAM • BOSTON • HEIDELBERG • LONDON

NEW YORK • OXFORD • PARIS • SAN DIEGO
SAN FRANCISCO • SINGAPORE • SYDNEY • TOKYO
Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier
Academic Press is an imprint of Elsevier

30 Corporate Drive, Suite 400, Burlington, MA 01803, USA

525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, California 92101-4495, USA
84 Theobald’s Road, London WC1X 8RR, UK

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Copyright ß 2008, Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Exception: The appendix, Glossary of Microscope Image Processing Terms, is copyright ß 1996
Pearson Education (from Digital Image Processing, First Edition by Kenneth R. Castleman and
reprinted by permission of Pearson Education, Inc.).

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science & Technology Rights
Department in Oxford, UK: phone: (þ 44) 1865 843830, fax: (þ 44) 1865 853333,
E-mail: [email protected]. You may also complete your request on-line via
the Elsevier homepage (http://elsevier.com), by selecting ‘‘Support & Contact’’ then
‘‘Copyright and Permission’’ and then ‘‘Obtaining Permissions.’’

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Application submitted.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 978-0-12-372578-3

For information on all Academic Press publications

visit our Web site at www.books.elsevier.com

Printed in the United States of America

08 09 10 11 12 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
 Contents

Foreword xxi
Preface xxiii
Acknowledgments xxv

1 Introduction 1
Kenneth R. Castleman and Ian T. Young
1.1 The Microscope and Image Processing 1
1.2 Scope of This Book 1
1.3 Our Approach 3
1.3.1 The Four Types of Images 3
1.3.1.1 Optical Image 4
1.3.1.2 Continuous Image 4
1.3.1.3 Digital Image 4
1.3.1.4 Displayed Image 5
1.3.2 The Result 5
1.3.2.1 Analytic Functions 6
1.3.3 The Sampling Theorem 7
1.4 The Challenge 8
1.5 Nomenclature 8
1.6 Summary of Important Points 8

2 Fundamentals of Microscopy 11
Kenneth R. Castleman and Ian T. Young
2.1 Origins of the Microscope 11
2.2 Optical Imaging 12
2.2.1 Image Formation by a Lens 12
2.2.1.1 Imaging a Point Source 13
2.2.1.2 Focal Length 13
2.2.1.3 Numerical Aperture 14
2.2.1.4 Lens Shape 15
2.3 Diffraction-Limited Optical Systems 15
2.3.1 Linear System Analysis 16

v
Contents

2.4 Incoherent Illumination 16

2.4.1 The Point Spread Function 16
2.4.2 The Optical Transfer Function 17
2.5 Coherent Illumination 18
2.5.1 The Coherent Point Spread Function 18
2.5.2 The Coherent Optical Transfer Function 19
2.6 Resolution 20
2.6.1 Abbe Distance 21
2.6.2 Rayleigh Distance 21
2.6.3 Size Calculations 21
2.7 Aberration 22
2.8 Calibration 22
2.8.1 Spatial Calibration 23
2.8.2 Photometric Calibration 23
2.9 Summary of Important Points 24

3 Image Digitization 27
Kenneth R. Castleman
3.1 Introduction 27
3.2 Resolution 28
3.3 Sampling 29
3.3.1 Interpolation 30
3.3.2 Aliasing 32
3.4 Noise 33
3.5 Shading 34
3.6 Photometry 34
3.7 Geometric Distortion 35
3.8 Complete System Design 35
3.8.1 Cumulative Resolution 35
3.8.2 Design Rules of Thumb 36
3.8.2.1 Pixel Spacing 36
3.8.2.2 Resolution 36
3.8.2.3 Noise 36
3.8.2.4 Photometry 36
3.8.2.5 Distortion 37
3.9 Summary of Important Points 37

4 Image Display 39
Kenneth R. Castleman
4.1 Introduction 39
4.2 Display Characteristics 40
4.2.1 Displayed Image Size 40

vi
 Contents

4.2.2 Aspect Ratio 40

4.2.3 Photometric Resolution 41
4.2.4 Grayscale Linearity 42
4.2.5 Low-Frequency Response 42
4.2.5.1 Pixel Polarity 42
4.2.5.2 Pixel Interaction 43
4.2.6 High-Frequency Response 43
4.2.7 The Spot-Spacing Compromise 43
4.2.8 Noise Considerations 43
4.3 Volatile Displays 44
4.4 Sampling for Display Purposes 45
4.4.1 Oversampling 46
4.4.2 Resampling 46
4.5 Display Calibration 47
4.6 Summary of Important Points 47

5 Geometric Transformations 51
Kenneth R. Castleman
5.1 Introduction 51
5.2 Implementation 52
5.3 Gray-Level Interpolation 52
5.3.1 Nearest-Neighbor Interpolation 53
5.3.2 Bilinear Interpolation 53
5.3.3 Bicubic Interpolation 54
5.3.4 Higher-Order Interpolation 54
5.4 Spatial Transformation 55
5.4.1 Control-Grid Mapping 55
5.5 Applications 56
5.5.1 Distortion Removal 56
5.5.2 Image Registration 56
5.5.3 Stitching 56
5.6 Summary of Important Points 57

6 Image Enhancement 59
Yu-Ping Wang, Qiang Wu, and Kenneth R. Castleman
6.1 Introduction 59
6.2 Spatial Domain Methods 60
6.2.1 Contrast Stretching 60
6.2.2 Clipping and Thresholding 61
6.2.3 Image Subtraction and Averaging 61
6.2.4 Histogram Equalization 62
6.2.5 Histogram Specification 62

vii
Contents

6.2.6 Spatial Filtering 63

6.2.7 Directional and Steerable Filtering 65
6.2.8 Median Filtering 67
6.3 Fourier Transform Methods 68
6.3.1 Wiener Filtering and Wiener Deconvolution 68
6.3.2 Deconvolution Using a Least-Squares Approach 70
6.3.3 Low-Pass Filtering in the Fourier Domain 71
6.3.4 High-Pass Filtering in the Fourier Domain 71
6.4 Wavelet Transform Methods 72
6.4.1 Wavelet Thresholding 72
6.4.2 Differential Wavelet Transform and Multiscale
Pointwise Product 73
6.5 Color Image Enhancement 74
6.5.1 Pseudo-Color Transformations 75
6.5.2 Color Image Smoothing 75
6.5.3 Color Image Sharpening 75
6.6 Summary of Important Points 76

7 Wavelet Image Processing 79

Hyohoon Choi and Alan C. Bovik
7.1 Introduction 79
7.1.1 Linear Transformations 80
7.1.2 Short-Time Fourier Transform and Wavelet Transform 81
7.2 Wavelet Transforms 83
7.2.1 Continuous Wavelet Transform 83
7.2.2 Wavelet Series Expansion 84
7.2.3 Haar Wavelet Functions 85
7.3 Multiresolution Analysis 85
7.3.1 Multiresolution and Scaling Function 86
7.3.2 Scaling Functions and Wavelets 87
7.4 Discrete Wavelet Transform 88
7.4.1 Decomposition 88
7.4.2 Reconstruction 91
7.4.3 Filter Banks 92
7.4.3.1 Two-Channel Subband Coding 92
7.4.3.2 Orthogonal Filter Design 93
7.4.4 Compact Support 95
7.4.5 Biorthogonal Wavelet Transforms 96
7.4.5.1 Biorthogonal Filter Banks 97
7.4.5.2 Examples of Biorthogonal Wavelets 99

viii
 Contents

7.4.6 Lifting Schemes 100

7.4.6.1 Biorthogonal Wavelet Design 100
7.4.6.2 Wavelet Transform Using Lifting 101
7.5 Two-Dimensional Discrete Wavelet Transform 102
7.5.1 Two-Dimensional Wavelet Bases 102
7.5.2 Forward Transform 103
7.5.3 Inverse Transform 105
7.5.4 Two-Dimensional Biorthogonal Wavelets 105
7.5.5 Overcomplete Transforms 106
7.6 Examples 107
7.6.1 Image Compression 107
7.6.2 Image Enhancement 107
7.6.3 Extended Depth-of-Field by Wavelet Image Fusion 108
7.7 Summary of Important Points 108

8 Morphological Image Processing 113

Roberto A. Lotufo, Romaric Audigier, André V. Saúde,
and Rubens C. Machado
8.1 Introduction 113
8.2 Binary Morphology 115
8.2.1 Binary Erosion and Dilation 115
8.2.2 Binary Opening and Closing 116
8.2.3 Binary Morphological Reconstruction from Markers 118
8.2.3.1 Connectivity 118
8.2.3.2 Markers 119
8.2.3.3 The Edge-Off Operation 120
8.2.4 Reconstruction from Opening 120
8.2.5 Area Opening and Closing 122
8.2.6 Skeletonization 123
8.3 Grayscale Operations 127
8.3.1 Threshold Decomposition 128
8.3.2 Erosion and Dilation 129
8.3.2.1 Gradient 131
8.3.3 Opening and Closing 131
8.3.3.1 Top-Hat Filtering 131
8.3.3.2 Alternating Sequential Filters 133
8.3.4 Component Filters and Grayscale
Morphological Reconstruction 134
8.3.4.1 Morphological Reconstruction 135
8.3.4.2 Alternating Sequential Component Filters 135
8.3.4.3 Grayscale Area Opening and Closing 135
8.3.4.4 Edge-Off Operator 136

ix
Contents

8.3.4.5 h-Maxima and h-Minima Operations 137

8.3.4.6 Regional Maxima and Minima 137
8.3.4.7 Regional Extrema as Markers 138
8.4 Watershed Segmentation 138
8.4.1 Classical Watershed Transform 139
8.4.2 Filtering the Minima 140
8.4.3 Texture Detection 143
8.4.4 Watershed from Markers 145
8.4.5 Segmentation of Overlapped Convex Cells 146
8.4.6 Inner and Outer Markers 148
8.4.7 Hierarchical Watershed 151
8.4.8 Watershed Transform Algorithms 152
8.5 Summary of Important Points 154

9 Image Segmentation 159

Qiang Wu and Kenneth R. Castleman
9.1 Introduction 159
9.1.1 Pixel Connectivity 160
9.2 Region-Based Segmentation 160
9.2.1 Thresholding 160
9.2.1.1 Global Thresholding 161
9.2.1.2 Adaptive Thresholding 162
9.2.1.3 Threshold Selection 163
9.2.1.4 Thresholding Circular Spots 165
9.2.1.5 Thresholding Noncircular and Noisy Spots 167
9.2.2 Morphological Processing 169
9.2.2.1 Hole Filling 171
9.2.2.2 Border-Object Removal 171
9.2.2.3 Separation of Touching Objects 172
9.2.2.4 The Watershed Algorithm 172
9.2.3 Region Growing 173
9.2.4 Region Splitting 175
9.3 Boundary-Based Segmentation 176
9.3.1 Boundaries and Edges 176
9.3.2 Boundary Tracking Based on Maximum
Gradient Magnitude 177
9.3.3 Boundary Finding Based on Gradient Image
Thresholding 178
9.3.4 Boundary Finding Based on Laplacian Image
Thresholding 179

x
 Contents

9.3.5 Boundary Finding Based on Edge Detection

and Linking 180
9.3.5.1 Edge Detection 180
9.3.5.2 Edge Linking and Boundary Refinement 183
9.3.6 Encoding Segmented Images 188
9.3.6.1 Object Label Map 189
9.3.6.2 Boundary Chain Code 189
9.4 Summary of Important Points 190

10 Object Measurement 195

Fatima A. Merchant, Shishir K. Shah, and Kenneth R. Castleman
10.1 Introduction 195
10.2 Measures for Binary Objects 196
10.2.1 Size Measures 196
10.2.1.1 Area 196
10.2.1.2 Perimeter 196
10.2.1.3 Area and Perimeter of a Polygon 197
10.2.2 Pose Measures 199
10.2.2.1 Centroid 199
10.2.2.2 Orientation 200
10.2.3 Shape Measures 200
10.2.3.1 Thinness Ratio 201
10.2.3.2 Rectangularity 201
10.2.3.3 Circularity 201
10.2.3.4 Euler Number 203
10.2.3.5 Moments 203
10.2.3.6 Elongation 205
10.2.4 Shape Descriptors 206
10.2.4.1 Differential Chain Code 206
10.2.4.2 Fourier Descriptors 206
10.2.4.3 Medial Axis Transform 207
10.2.4.4 Graph Representations 208
10.3 Distance Measures 209
10.3.1 Euclidean Distance 209
10.3.2 City-Block Distance 209
10.3.3 Chessboard Distance 210
10.4 Gray-Level Object Measures 210
10.4.1 Intensity Measures 210
10.4.1.1 Integrated Optical Intensity 210
10.4.1.2 Average Optical Intensity 210
10.4.1.3 Contrast 211

xi
Contents

10.4.2 Histogram Measures 211

10.4.2.1 Mean Gray Level 211
10.4.2.2 Standard Deviation of Gray Levels 211
10.4.2.3 Skew 212
10.4.2.4 Entropy 212
10.4.2.5 Energy 212
10.4.3 Texture Measures 212
10.4.3.1 Statistical Texture Measures 213
10.4.3.2 Power Spectrum Features 214
10.5 Object Measurement Considerations 215
10.6 Summary of Important Points 215

11 Object Classification 221

Kenneth R. Castleman and Qiang Wu
11.1 Introduction 221
11.2 The Classification Process 221
11.2.1 Bayes’ Rule 222
11.3 The Single-Feature, Two-Class Case 222
11.3.1 A Priori Probabilities 223
11.3.2 Conditional Probabilities 223
11.3.3 Bayes’ Theorem 224
11.4 The Three-Feature, Three-Class Case 225
11.4.1 Bayes Classifier 226
11.4.1.1 Prior Probabilities 226
11.4.1.2 Classifier Training 227
11.4.1.3 The Mean Vector 227
11.4.1.4 Covariance 228
11.4.1.5 Variance and Standard Deviation 228
11.4.1.6 Correlation 228
11.4.1.7 The Probability Density Function 229
11.4.1.8 Classification 229
11.4.1.9 Log Likelihoods 229
11.4.1.10 Mahalanobis Distance Classifier 230
11.4.1.11 Uncorrelated Features 230
11.4.2 A Numerical Example 231
11.5 Classifier Performance 232
11.5.1 The Confusion Matrix 233
11.6 Bayes Risk 234
11.6.1 Minimum-Risk Classifier 234
11.7 Relationships Among Bayes Classifiers 235

xii
 Contents

11.8 The Choice of a Classifier 235

11.8.1 Subclassing 236
11.8.2 Feature Normalization 236
11.9 Nonparametric Classifiers 238
11.9.1 Nearest-Neighbor Classifiers 239
11.10 Feature Selection 240
11.10.1 Feature Reduction 240
11.10.1.1 Principal Component Analysis 241
11.10.1.2 Linear Discriminant Analysis 242
11.11 Neural Networks 243
11.12 Summary of Important Points 244

12 Fluorescence Imaging 247

Fatima A. Merchant and Ammasi Periasamy
12.1 Introduction 247
12.2 Basics of Fluorescence Imaging 248
12.2.1 Image Formation in Fluorescence Imaging 249
12.3 Optics in Fluorescence Imaging 250
12.4 Limitations in Fluorescence Imaging 251
12.4.1 Instrumentation-Based Aberrations 251
12.4.1.1 Photon Shot Noise 251
12.4.1.2 Dark Current 252
12.4.1.3 Auxiliary Noise Sources 252
12.4.1.4 Quantization Noise 253
12.4.1.5 Other Noise Sources 253
12.4.2 Sample-Based Aberrations 253
12.4.2.1 Photobleaching 253
12.4.2.2 Autofluorescence 254
12.4.2.3 Absorption and Scattering 255
12.4.3 Sample and Instrumentation Handling–Based
Aberrations 255
12.5 Image Corrections in Fluorescence Microscopy 256
12.5.1 Background Shading Correction 256
12.5.2 Correction Using the Recorded Image 257
12.5.3 Correction Using Calibration Images 258
12.5.3.1 Two-Image Calibration 258
12.5.3.2 Background Subtraction 258
12.5.4 Correction Using Surface Fitting 259
12.5.5 Histogram-Based Background Correction 261
12.5.6 Other Approaches for Background Correction 261
12.5.7 Autofluorescence Correction 261
12.5.8 Spectral Overlap Correction 262

xiii
Contents

12.5.9 Photobleaching Correction 262

12.5.10 Correction of Fluorescence Attenuation in Depth 265
12.6 Quantifying Fluorescence 266
12.6.1 Fluorescence Intensity Versus Fluorophore
Concentration 266
12.7 Fluorescence Imaging Techniques 267
12.7.1 Immunofluorescence 267
12.7.2 Fluorescence in situ Hybridization (FISH) 270
12.7.3 Quantitative Colocalization Analysis 271
12.7.4 Fluorescence Ratio Imaging (RI) 275
12.7.5 Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) 277
12.7.6 Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM) 284
12.7.7 Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP) 286
12.7.8 Total Internal Reflectance Fluorescence
Microscopy (TIRFM) 288
12.7.9 Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS) 289
12.8 Summary of Important Points 290

13 Multispectral Imaging 299

James Thigpen and Shishir K. Shah
13.1 Introduction 299
13.2 Principles of Multispectral Imaging 300
13.2.1 Spectroscopy 301
13.2.2 Imaging 302
13.2.3 Multispectral Microscopy 304
13.2.4 Spectral Image Acquisition Methods 304
13.2.4.1 Wavelength-Scan Methods 304
13.2.4.2 Spatial-Scan Methods 305
13.2.4.3 Time-Scan Methods 306
13.3 Multispectral Image Processing 306
13.3.1 Calibration for Multispectral Image Acquisition 307
13.3.2 Spectral Unmixing 312
13.3.2.1 Fluorescence Unmixing 315
13.3.2.2 Brightfield Unmixing 317
13.3.2.3 Unsupervised Unmixing 318
13.3.3 Spectral Image Segmentation 321
13.3.3.1 Combining Segmentation with Classification 322
13.3.3.2 M-FISH Pixel Classification 322
13.4 Summary of Important Points 323

xiv
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 CHAPTER X

HOW THE MARCHING CLUB WAS ORGANIZED

“Something’s got to be done,” said Don Daring, with emphasis, as

he addressed a circle of eager listeners.

The children had assembled on the upper floor of the Randolph

barn, a big, roomy place intended for the storage of hay, when it
was built, but now a bare room because the automobile, which had
replaced the carriage horses, did not eat hay. The Randolphs lived
directly across the road from the Darings, in a handsome, modern
structure of brick and stone that had cost a lot of money to build.
This family was reputed the wealthiest in Riverdale, for Mr. Randolph
was a clever financier who spent most of his time in far-away
Boston, where his business interests were, and only came South to
see his family on rare occasions and for brief visits. Mrs. Randolph
was a semi-invalid whose health obliged her to live in a warmer
clime than that of Boston. She was rather selfish and worldly-
minded, although professing to be much interested in foreign
missions, and it was said she occupied most of her time in writing
articles for religious papers and magazines. There were three
Randolph children: Marion, about Phoebe’s age, who attended a
college near Washington and was only home for vacations; Doris, a
demure little girl of an age to associate with Becky, and Allerton, a
boy a trifle younger than Don.

Allerton, whose mother indulged his every whim, rather than be

annoyed by his pleading, had just received from the city an amateur
printing press and outfit and had set it up in the barn. Don and
Becky had been invited to come over and see the first “job” of
printing executed, but interest in the new and expensive plaything
was divided by the news of Toby Clark’s misfortunes. They were all
four earnest friends and admirers of Toby and having canvassed the
subject in all its phases, with growing indignation and excitement,
Don wound up with the statement:

“Something’s got to be done!”

“What?” asked Becky curiously.

“Something to show we believe in Toby an’ know he’s innocent.”

“That don’t answer my question,” insisted his sister. “Something

don’t mean anything, unless you say what the something is.”

“He means,” announced Doris, in her prim way, “that we must

undertake to do something, to be decided later, that will show to the
world that we believe in the honesty of Toby Clark.”

“That’s it!” cried Don approvingly; “an’ Beck ought to know it

without so much argument.”

“All right; I’m game,” said Becky, complacently. “You can count on
me in anything that’ll help Toby.”

“I’m afraid we four can’t do much,” remarked Allerton. “The law

has Toby in its clutches and I suppose it will hang him.”

“Hang nothing!” retorted Don, scornfully. “They don’t hang folks

for stealing, Al; it’s only for murder.”

“But Toby didn’t steal Mrs. Ritchie’s box,” suggested Doris.

“No; of course not. But he’s been arrested for it and is in jail, and
nobody seems to be doing anything to help him. That’s why I think
we ought to do something. If I was in his fix I’d like my friends to
fight for me.”

“Tell us what to do, then, and we’ll do it,” said Becky. “We’ll all join
hands, eyes right an’ chins up, an’ march on to victory!”
 “Eh?” said Don, staring at her thoughtfully; “that isn’t a bad idea,
Becky.”

“What idea?”

“The marching. When there’s an election the men all get together
and form a company and parade the streets with banners and a
band—and their man gets elected.”

“It is a way to win popular favor,” said Doris. “The marching and
bands and fireworks arouse excitement.”

“Well, that’s what we ought to do,” declared Don. “Those fool

people in the town are all shaking their heads like billygoats and
saying Toby must be guilty, just ’cause they found the empty box in
his back yard. Anyone could put the box there; it’s no proof Toby did
it. Let’s get up a Toby Clark Marching Club, to defend Toby and bring
folks to the right way of thinking. That’ll help him more than
anything else.”

“It would make ’em laugh,” said Beck, “to see two boys and two
girls marching with a banner and a band. And where in thunder will
you get that band, Don?”

“You shut up. We’ll enlist every kid in town in our marching club.
It’ll be no end of fun—besides helping Toby.”

“That sounds good,” said Allerton. “I’ll be the captain.”

“I’m captain myself,” retorted Don. “It’s my idea.”

“It was Becky’s.”

“Nothing of the sort. What she said gave me the idea; and it’s a
good one.”
 “If you’re going to hog everything, you can get up your own
marching club, and I’ll stay out of it,” said Allerton sullenly.

Don had a hot reply on his tongue’s end, but hesitated. He really
wanted to help Toby Clark.

“Tell you what we’ll do, Al,” he said generously; “we’ll get up the
club together and then let all the members vote which one of us
shall be captain. Then the other can be first lieutenant.”

“All right,” agreed Al.

“Why don’t you both be generals?” asked Becky. “Then it would

leave some offices for us girls.”

“Why, we can’t be expected to march in a parade, Becky,” said

Doris chidingly. “It wouldn’t be ladylike.”

“I’m no lady, an’ I’m goin’ to march,” replied Becky, with decision.
“This isn’t politics; it’s a boom for Toby Clark, the Unjustly Accused,
and I’m in the game first, last an’ all the time.”

“That’s the proper spirit,” said Don.

“Tell you what,” remarked Allerton; “we’ll print a lot of cards,

inviting all the boys and girls in Riverdale to join the Toby Clark
Marching Club, and we’ll distribute them at school and call the first
meeting in our barn on Saturday forenoon.”

“Great idea, Al! Let’s print the cards right away,” cried Don with
enthusiasm.

They first wrote the announcement on a piece of paper, Becky

doing the writing in her scrawly hand and Doris correcting the
spelling, which was something startling as Becky employed it. Then
they set the type, the girls eagerly helping to do that, and after
locking it up in the chase they ran off the first impression. It was
somewhat blurred, there being too much ink on the roller, but Becky
proudly read it aloud, as follows:

TAKE NOTICE!

You are respectfully invited to become a Member of

THE TOBY CLARK MARCHING CLUB!

Organized for the Defense of our Unjustly Accused Fellow

Citizen, Toby Clark! And to Bring About his Release from Jail and
to Clear his Good Name from the Taint of Cowardly Slander!
There will be

UNIFORMS! BANDS! RED FIRE! and BANNERS!

All in Favor of this will Meet at Randolph’s Barn (upstairs) on

Saturday Morning at 9 o’clock Sharp.

ALL BOYS AND GIRLS WELCOME TO JOIN!

Don Daring,
Al Randolph,
Doris Randolph,
Becky Daring,
Organizing Committee.

(Al Randolph, Printer)

“The composition doesn’t seem to be quite clear,” observed Doris,

when the applause had subsided. “It reads as if all in favor of the
red fire and banners were invited to join.”

“Well, so they are,” maintained Don. “The red fire an’ banners
mean the Marching Club, ’cause they’re a part of it.”
 “Better leave the band out,” advised Becky. “It’s a swindle, and we
want this thing on the square.”

“There’s going to be a band—if we have to blow on combs

covered with paper,” retorted her brother. “But this is going to be an
awful big thing, girls, and we may hire the Riverdale Cornet Band.”

“That’d cost twenty dollars.”

“If they’re friends of Toby Clark they’ll play for nothing. Don’t
borrow trouble. Buckle to, and make the thing a success.”

They printed off a hundred cards and laid them upon a board to
dry overnight. Next morning Allerton brought them to the Darings
and each of the Organizing Committee took twenty-five to distribute
at school. The boys and girls of Riverdale read the announcement
and became excited over the novelty of the undertaking. Therefore
the Randolph barn was crowded on Saturday morning at 9 o’clock,
when Allerton called the meeting to order—a necessary call—and
announced that Donald Daring would explain the object of the
proposed organization.

Don had carefully prepared his speech in advance and had even
committed it to memory. Right after breakfast he had recited it to
Becky without a skip, and his usually critical sister had declared it
was “simply grand.” But Don had an attack of what is called “stage
fright” and as he faced the throng of eager listeners promptly forgot
the beginning of his address—and nearly all the rest of it. But he
knew what he wanted to talk about and after stammering through
the first sentence, progressed very well, his earnestness inspiring
him to oratory.

“Friends and fellow citizens,” he began; “you all know what a

measly shame the arrestin’ of Toby Clark was, which he’s innocent as
I am or as any of you are. You know Toby, and he’s a good fellow,
and no sneak-thief, and you can bet your oatmeal on that ev’ry time!
(Applause.) Toby’s always been a friend an’ stood by us, so now’s
the time for us to stand by him. The truth is, somebody’s tryin’ to
make a goat of Toby, and hopes to put him in jail so he’ll escape
himself.”

A Voice: “So who’ll escape? Which one of ’em, Don?”

“So the thief that stole the box will escape, of course. That’s why
the thief put the empty box in Toby’s yard, an’ stuffed the papers in
his shanty. He hoped Toby would be arrested an’ proved guilty, so he
—the fellow that stole the box—wouldn’t be suspected.”

Another Voice: “Who stole the box, if Toby didn’t?”

“We don’t know who stole it. I wish we did. But we’re sure it
wasn’t Toby and so we’re going to stick up for him and force Sam
Parsons an’ the law-bugs over at Bayport to set him free. That’s
what this Club’s going to be organized for,” here Don suddenly
remembered part of his speech: “to mold public opinion into the
right channels and champion the cause of our down-trodden
comrade.”

“Hooray!” yelled Becky, and great applause followed.

“I heard Lawyer Holbrook was stickin’ up for Toby,” said a boy.

“Holbrook’s a stick, but he ain’t stickin’ up much,” replied Don. “He

isn’t posted on things, ’cause he’s just come to town and don’t know
the run of things. If Toby’s goin’ to be saved, this Marching Club,
organized for his benefit, is goin’ to save him, and it’ll be stacks of
fun besides. We’ll parade all through the town, with flags an’
banners flying, an’ we’ll have a banquet, an’ perhaps a brass band,
an’ so help to set Toby Clark free.”

“What’ll we eat at the banquet?” asked a solemn-eyed girl.

“Food, of course,” answered Becky. “You’d better join an’ get a

square meal, for once in your life, Susan Doozen.”
 “I guess our grocery bill is as big as yours is!” cried the girl angrily.

“It’s bigger,” replied Becky composedly, “for we pay ours.”

“Here, cut that out!” commanded the speaker. “We’re not here to
squabble, but to fight for Toby Clark, and we’re going to put up the
biggest fight Riverdale has ever seen. The Toby Clark Marching Club
will become famous, an’ go down in the annals of history as a—as—
as—”

“As a Marching Club,” said Allerton, helping him out.

“With a record we’ll all be proud of,” added Don. “I can tell you
kids one thing, and that is that every boy an’ girl who don’t belong
to our marching club will be looked down on as nobodies, an’ they’ll
deserve it. This is goin’ to be the biggest thing that ever happened in
Riverdale and when Toby Clark is free and cleared of this wicked
slander I’m going to petition Congress to give every one of us a gold
medal. Now, then, the register is on that box beside the chairman,
who is Al Randolph. You’ll form in line and all walk up and sign it. It’s
a pledge to become a member of this Marching Club and to allow no
one to say Toby Clark is guilty without denying it. Also to obey the
rules of the Club and mind its officers.”

“Who’s them?” asked a small boy.

“We’re going to elect the officers after you’ve all signed,” replied
Don.

It was evident that the arguments advanced had been effective.

Every boy and girl present signed the roll. When Doris had counted
the names she announced that the Toby Clark Marching Club now
numbered sixty-seven members.

“We’ll make it an even hundred in a few days,” declared Don

exultantly. “And now we’ll have the election of officers. All in favor of
me for captain say ‘aye.’”
 “Hold on!” cried Al, jumping up. “That isn’t fair. You promised they
should vote whether you or I should be captain.”

“That’s all right,” said Don. “If they don’t elect me they can vote
for you.”

“Can’t anyone else be it?” asked a big boy anxiously.

“No,” replied Don. “It was my idea, and Al printed the invitations
on his press. One of us has got to be captain and the other
lieutenant. But there’ll be lots of other officers.”

“Listen to me,” said Becky. “I know how to run an election. I’ll give
each one a piece of paper, and each one must write ‘Al’ or ‘Don’ on
it, whichever they want for captain. Then Doris and I will collect the
papers and count ’em, and whoever has the most will be elected.”

There being no objection to this plan it was carried out. When the
papers were counted Al had twenty-six votes and Don forty-one.

“Are you sure you counted right?” asked Al in a disappointed tone.

“Count ’em yourself, if you want to,” replied Becky.

“Friends and fellow citizens,” said Don, bowing to the members of

the Marching Club, “I thank you for this evidence of your good
judgment. I’m now the captain and I’ll drill you like a regiment of
soldiers, only better. Al is first lieutenant, and I appoint Becky
secretary and Doris the treasurer.”

“When do we get the gold medals?” asked a girl.

Don glared at her.

“The gold medals don’t come till after Toby is cleared. Then I said
I’d ask Congress for ’em.”

“Who’s Congress?” inquired the girl.

 There was a laugh, at this, and then Don said they’d elect two
standard-bearers, to carry the banners, and four corporals. He didn’t
much care who filled these offices, and so allowed the members to
vote for whom they pleased. By the time the election was over Doris
and Becky brought up two great trays of cakes, while their brothers
provided a pail of lemonade, with which the entire club was served
by having recourse to constant dilutions.

Providing these refreshments had been thought by the organizers

to be good policy and calculated to arouse enthusiasm in the
Marching Club; and so it did. After being served they all trooped out
upon the lawn, where Don and Al matched the children into pairs
and arranged the order in which they should parade. The boys and
girls wanted to march through the town at once, but their captain
told them they were not ready for a parade yet. They must be
drilled, and the banners must be made and painted. Each member
was instructed to get a white sash and wear it whenever the club
met.

They drilled until noon, growing more and more animated and
enthusiastic, and then separated to meet again after supper on the
grounds of the Daring residence.
 CHAPTER XI

HOW THE CLUB RECEIVED A DONATION

“What were all those children doing at the Randolphs?” inquired

Cousin Judith, as Becky and Don came in to dinner, flushed and
triumphant.

“That was the Toby Clark Marching Club,” announced Don,

proudly. “I’m elected captain of it.”

Judith seemed puzzled.

“Tell me about it,” she said. “What’s the idea?”

Becky at once began an excited explanation and Don broke in to

assist her, so that by listening carefully to the broken sentences the
Little Mother managed to get a fair idea of the object of the
organization.

“You don’t mind, do you?” Becky inquired anxiously.

“No, indeed. The Marching Club may not do Toby Clark much
good, but it certainly will do him no harm. As you say, there will be
lots of fun in parading in defense of one so unjustly accused.”

“Becky and I are going to spend all our week’s allowance on

ribbon,” said Don, “and we will make it into badges and Al will print
them this afternoon in gold letters. He got some gold powder with
his printing outfit.”

“Can’t I belong?” asked Sue, who had not been present at the
meeting.
 “Of course,” said Becky. “Every able-bodied kid in town is welcome
to join, and I’ll bet a cookie they’ll all come in. It’s the swellest thing
in Riverdale, just now, and not to belong to the Toby Clark Marching
Club is to be just a nobody.”

“I think I would like to contribute the ribbon for the badges,” said
Cousin Judith. “How much will you need?”

“Oh, thank you!” they all cried gleefully, and Becky added that
they wanted enough white ribbon to make a hundred badges.

“White’s going to be our color,” said the girl, “’cause it’s the
emblem of innocence, and we’ll stick to Toby’s innocence till the
cows come home. We’re all to wear white sashes, and I wish we
could get white caps to match; but I don’t suppose we can.”

“I’ll see if I can make a white cap,” remarked Phoebe, who was
quite delighted with the idea of the Marching Club. “If I find I can do
it, I’ll make one for every member.”

This encouragement delighted Becky and Don and after dinner

Judith and Phoebe went down town and purchased the ribbon for
the badges and white cotton cloth for the caps. Phoebe found it was
not very difficult to make a round cap, which consisted merely of a
band and a crown, and the first one she stitched up on the machine
was pronounced a success. It was becoming to boys and girls alike
and Becky thought Al could print “T. C. M. C.” on the front of each
cap, very easily.

It took Allerton, assisted by Don, all the afternoon to print the

badges, but they looked very pretty with their gold letters and Doris
fringed the end of each one to make it look more like a badge.
Becky, meantime, was assisting Phoebe with the caps, and so was
Cousin Judith. They managed to make thirty before evening, when
the club was to meet, and Don was told to promise each member a
cap as soon as the rest could be made.
 Nearly eighty children gathered on the lawn after supper and the
new additions all signed the roll of the club and became members.
Doris and Becky pinned a badge upon each one and told them to
wear it wherever they might go, as a mark of distinction. The thirty
caps were also distributed and some had already provided and
brought with them their white sashes. These preparations filled the
youngsters with joy and made them very proud of belonging to the
new organization. Don got them in line and marched them around
the grounds awhile, but the evenings were short at this time of the
year and the children were soon dismissed with instructions to
assemble on Monday after school and to bring as many new
members as could be induced to join.

The badges were worn even to church the next day and aroused
much curiosity; but not a boy nor girl would tell what “T. C. M. C.”
meant, as they had pledged themselves to keep the club and its
object a deep secret until they were ready to parade.

Perhaps it was not wholly a desire to help Toby Clark that

animated these children, although after they were enrolled in the
Marching Club they one and all warmly defended him if his
innocence was questioned. What most attracted them was the club
itself, with its glamour of badges, sashes, caps, “refreshments” at
meetings, its drills and parades and the promises of brass bands and
gold medals.

Doris, a conscientious little girl, took Don Daring to task for

making those rash promises, but the boy protested that they would
get a band, somehow or other, and as for the medals he had only
said he would ask “Congress” for them and he meant to keep his
word. If “Congress” refused to present the medals it wouldn’t be his
fault, anyhow.

They drilled every afternoon during the following week. Phoebe

finished the caps and supplied sashes to those children who were
unable to get them at home. Becky wheedled Aunt Hyacinth, the
black mammy who had been with the Darings all their lives, into
making a hundred cookies one day and a hundred fried cakes the
next, and with these the girls served lemonade to the Club.
Wednesday afternoon Doris again supplied the refreshments and on
Thursday Cousin Judith furnished ice cream for the whole
assemblage. Janet Ferguson, whose interest had been aroused by
the unique idea of the Toby Clark Marching Club, provided the
refreshments for Friday, and Saturday was to be the day of the first
great parade.

But before this the Marching Club received its greatest surprise,
resulting in its greatest impetus. On Thursday Doris Randolph came
running over to the Daring place breathless with excitement and
waving a letter as she met Becky and Don.

“Oh, dear!” she gasped; “what do you suppose has happened?”

“The North Star has gone south,” answered Becky, laughing.

“No; it’s something great—wonderful,” said Doris. “Just listen to

this letter; the postman brought it a minute ago.”

She opened the letter with fluttering fingers and read as follows:

“Miss Doris Randolph,

Treasurer of the Toby Clark Marching Club:
“We beg to inform you that one of our customers, who wishes
to remain unknown, has placed to your credit in Spaythe’s Bank
the sum of Fifty Dollars, to be used for the promotion of the
Club as its officers deem best. Very respectfully,
Spaythe’s Bank,
by Eric Spaythe, Cashier.”

“Well, for goodness sake!” exclaimed Becky. “Fifty dollars! Who do

you s’pose sent it, Doris?”
 “I don’t know any more than the letter tells us; but what in the
world will we do with all that money?”

“I know,” said Don, so astonished that he had been speechless

until now; “we’ll hire the Riverdale Cornet Band for Saturday.”

“Good idea,” said Becky. “Let’s go see Ed Collins, the leader of the
band, right away.”

“But—wait!” cried Doris; “don’t let us do anything rash. We’d

better wait until the Club meets this afternoon and let them all vote
on it.”

“Nonsense,” said Don. “Don’t the letter say the money’s to be

used as the officers think best? Well, we’re the officers. Where’s Al?”

“I think he is studying his lessons just at present,” said Al’s sister.

“Never mind; we’re the majority; so let’s vote to hire the band,”
proposed Don.

“Better let Allerton into this,” said Becky cautiously. “He’s mighty
sensitive and there’s no use having war in our own camp. As for the
others, they’re all dummies; but it won’t take more than a jiffy to
hunt Al up and get his vote on the proposition.”

“We must all start for school very soon,” said Doris; “and, if you
will wait for us, Allerton and I will join you. Then, on our way, we
can talk it over and decide what is best to be done.”

This being a sensible suggestion, it was adopted and Doris ran

across to her home while Becky flew upstairs to tell Phoebe and the
Little Mother the wonderful news.

“It is certainly strange,” commented Phoebe thoughtfully. “I

wonder who could have sent this money?”
 “Never mind who sent it,” cried Becky; “we’ve got it, and we’ll hire
the band, and the whole town will go crazy over the Marching Club
on Saturday!”

Then off she ran to talk it over with Don again, and Cousin Judith
said to Phoebe:

“There may be a clew for you in this donation, my Lady

Conspirator.”

“That occurred to me at once,” replied the girl seriously. “No one

would donate fifty dollars to the Marching Club unless greatly
interested in the fate of poor Toby. And who so likely to be
interested in saving him as the one who really took Mrs. Ritchie’s
box?”

“In that case, the thief has a conscience and does not wish an
innocent person to suffer for his own fault,” commented Judith.
“Therefore, thinking the Marching Club may assist Toby’s case, the
guilty one has donated fifty dollars to the cause.”

“Perhaps a part of the stolen money,” suggested Phoebe.

“Very likely. The letter says he wishes to conceal his identity, but
—”

“The Spaythes must know who it is!” exclaimed Phoebe.

“Of course.”

“I’m going to see Eric right away. He wrote the letter, Cousin
Judith, and Eric knows if anyone does.”

“But will he tell you?”

“He is very much interested in Toby and greatly worried over the
way his case drags. Eric told me the other day he would do anything
to save Toby.”

“Then I advise you to see him.”

Phoebe glanced out of the window. Becky and Don and the two
Randolph children were just starting for school, eagerly canvassing
the joyful news as they went. So Phoebe put on her things and
quietly followed them, wending her way to Spaythe’s bank.

This was a neat brick building, quite the most imposing bit of
architecture in town. At this early hour the doors had just been
opened and no customer had as yet appeared. Eric was back of the
cashier’s desk and greeted the girl with a cheery “good morning.”

“Who gave fifty dollars to the Marching Club, Eric?” she asked.

“Some unknown person, Miss Daring,” he replied with a smile.

“Not unknown to the bank, however,” she said meaningly. “You

see, it’s this way,” Phoebe added, as the young man shook his head
positively, “whoever gave that money knows something, Eric, and
we must find out who it is. Perhaps—”

“Perhaps it’s the thief himself,” returned Eric. “It struck me at the
time as a curious proceeding, in view of the circumstances,” he
continued; “but the truth is, I’m as much in the dark as you are.”

“How can you be?” she protested.

“Yesterday afternoon the governor came in from his private office

and told me to write the letter to Doris Randolph. I worded it just as
I was instructed, but when I asked who was the donor my father
merely frowned and said he must respect the person’s wish to
remain unidentified.”

“Then Mr. Spaythe knows?”

 “Undoubtedly. You may question him, if you like; he’s in his private
office now. But I’m sure you won’t learn anything.”

Phoebe sighed. She believed Eric was right in this assertion. Mr.
Spaythe was a man who guarded all confidences with the utmost
loyalty. He would be likely to resent any attempt to penetrate this
secret, Phoebe well knew, and she abandoned any thought of
appealing to the banker.

“The governor is Toby’s friend, you know,” remarked Eric, as he

noted her disappointed expression. “If he has discovered anything,
through this donation, you may be sure he will take advantage of it
when the proper time comes.”

That thought cheered Phoebe somewhat on her way home. But

just as she reached the house another thought intruded itself and
she sat down on the porch bench to think it out.

Mr. Spaythe, although considered far above any breath of

suspicion, actually headed her list of suspects. In other words, the
banker was one of those who knew of the box and that it contained
money, and he might have had the opportunity to steal it. She
rapidly ran over in her mind the arguments she had used for and
against the probability of Mr. Spaythe’s having taken the box, and
shook her head doubtfully. There was much that was suspicious in
the banker’s actions. His astonishing defense of Toby Clark, whom
before the arrest he had scarcely noticed, could not be easily
explained.

“The thief—the one we’re after—was a clever person,” mused

Phoebe. “I doubt if he would be reckless enough to go to Mr.
Spaythe and ask him to give that fifty dollars to the Marching Club
and to keep his name secret. Mr. Spaythe would know at once that
such a person was the guilty one. No; it wasn’t the criminal. Some
one honestly interested in Toby’s welfare gave that money, or else—
or else it was Mr. Spaythe himself!”
 She tried to consider this last possibility. Mr. Spaythe was not a
charitable man; he seldom or never espoused any cause through
pure philanthropy. There was something beneath this sudden
interest in Toby Clark, a poor and friendless boy, and that something
was not mere kindliness, Phoebe felt sure. He might be politic
enough to assist a wealthy and powerful man in trouble, but not one
who, like Toby, could make him no return. What, then, had impelled
the banker to pursue this generous course toward the accused boy?

Phoebe went in to talk it over with Cousin Judith, but found the
house in a commotion. Old Aunt Hyacinth was sweeping the parlor
vigorously, although this was not sweeping day. Judith, in cap and
apron, was dusting and rearranging the furniture, and Phoebe
looked at the extraordinary scene in amazement.
 CHAPTER XII

HOW THE GOVERNOR ARRIVED

“Oh; is it you?” asked Judith busily. “Come and help us, dear, for
we must have the place in apple-pie order by four o’clock, and
there’s a lot to be done.”

“Dear me; what’s the excitement about?” asked Phoebe.

“I’ve just had a telegram from Cousin John, the Governor, and he’ll
be here at four o’clock,” answered Judith.

“Really?”

“Honest for true, Phoebe. Isn’t it fine?”

Phoebe sat down with a bewildered expression. All the Darings

well knew of Judith’s famous cousin, the governor of the state,
whom they always called the “Great Man” in discussing him; but
until now none of them had ever seen him. He was not their cousin,
although he bore that relation to Cousin Judith Eliot, whose mother
had been the sister of his mother. There was no doubt of his being a
very great man, for he had not only been twice elected governor of
the state but people declared he might some day become president
of the United States, so able and clean had been his administration
of affairs. The very idea of their entertaining so celebrated a
personage made Phoebe gasp. She looked at Cousin Judith with big
eyes, trying to conceive the situation.

“I’ve often invited him to come and see us,” continued Judith, her
voice full of glad anticipation as she worked, “but he is such a busy
man he could never find time. At last, however, he has remembered
me, and his telegram says he has been North on state affairs and
finds he can spare me a few hours to-day on his return; so he’ll be
here at four o’clock, stay all night and take the morning train on to
the capitol.”

“All night!” cried Phoebe.

“Yes; I’m so pleased, Phoebe. You’re sure to like Cousin John and
I know the other children will adore him. It’s his custom to dine at
night, you know; so we’ll just have a lunch this noon and our dinner
at suppertime, as they do up North. The youngsters won’t mind, for
once, although it may give them indigestion.”

Phoebe took off her hat and began to help Judith “rid up” the
house. The rooms were always so neatly kept that the girl could not
see now they might be improved, but Judith had the old-fashioned
housekeeper’s instinct in regard to cleanliness and knew just what
touches the place needed to render it sweet and fresh.

Awe fell upon the younger Darings when they came in from school
and heard the news. Don, who had been chattering noisily of the
Riverdale Cornet Band, which had been hired for Saturday, fell silent
and grave, for the governor’s coming was an event that
overshadowed all else. Becky, serious for just a moment, suddenly
began laughing.

“The Great Man will scorn Riverdale, and especially the Darings,”
she predicted. “We’ll look like a set of gawks to him and I warn you
now, Little Mother, that if he pokes fun at me I’ll make faces. It’s
straight goods that a governor has no business here, and if he
comes he’ll have to shed his city airs and be human.”

Judith laughed at this.

“Don’t think of him as a governor, dear,” she said. “Just think of

him as my Cousin John, who used to be very nice to me when I was
wee girl and has never been any different since I grew up. I’m sure
he is giving us these few hours to rest his weary brain and bones,
and hide from the politicians. Not a soul in Riverdale will know the
governor is here, unless he is seen and recognized.”

“Is he ashamed of us, then?” inquired little Sue.

“Why should he be?”

“Because we’re not great, like he is.”

“But we are, Sue,” declared Phoebe. “The Darings are as great, in

their way, as the governor himself. We are honest and respectable,
and the votes of just such families as ours placed Judith’s cousin in
the governor’s chair and made him our leader and lawgiver.”

“But he’s got a head on him,” remarked Don emphatically.

“We all have heads,” answered Phoebe; “only our brains don’t lead
us to delve in politics or seek public offices.”

“Mine do,” asserted her brother. “I’m goin’ to be awful great,

myself, some day. If the Little Mother’s cousin can be governor,
there’s no reason I shouldn’t become a—a——”

“A policeman,” said Becky, helping him finish the sentence. “But

you’ll have to grow up first, Don.”

This conversation did not seem to annoy Cousin Judith in the

least. On the contrary she was amused by the excitement the
coming of the Great Man caused in their little circle.

“I wonder if the Randolphs would lend us their automobile to

bring him from the station,” mused Phoebe, at luncheon.

“How absurd!” said Judith. “Cousin John has two feet, just like
other men, and he’ll be glad to use them.”

“Will the band turn out?” asked Don.

 “No. You mustn’t tell anyone of this visit, for the Riverdale people
would rush to see their governor and that would spoil his quiet visit
with us. Keep very quiet about it until after he has gone—all of you.”

“What’ll we do about the Marching Club, Don?” asked Becky.

“They were to meet on our grounds after school, but now that the
Great Man is coming—”

“You need not alter your plans at all,” said Judith. “I want you to
do just as you are accustomed to do. Be yourselves, my dears, and
treat Cousin John as if he were one of the family, which he really is.
You mustn’t let his coming disturb you in any way, for that would
embarrass and grieve him. He has no family of his own and it will
delight him to be received here as a relative and a friend, rather
than as a great statesman.”

It was hard work for the children to keep the secret to themselves
when at school that afternoon; but they did. It was only little Sue
who confided to a friend the fact that “the biggest man in the whole
world, ’cept the kings an’ princes of fairy tales, was coming to visit
them;” but this indefinite information was received with stolid
indifference and quickly forgotten.

Phoebe went with Judith to the station to meet the four o’clock
train, at her cousin’s earnest request, and her heart beat wildly as
the train drew in. The girl had pictured to herself a big, stalwart
gentleman, stern-visaged and grim, wearing a Prince Albert coat and
a tall silk hat, the center of a crowd of admiring observers. She was
looking for this important personage among the passengers who
alighted from the cars when Judith’s voice said in her ear:

“Shake hands with Cousin John, Phoebe.”

She started and blushed and then glanced shyly into the kind and
humorous eyes that gleamed from beneath the brim of a soft felt
hat. The Great Man was not great in stature; on the contrary his
eyes were about on a level with Phoebe’s own and she saw that his
form was thin and somewhat stooping. His coat was dusty from
travel, his tie somewhat carelessly arranged and his shoes were
sadly in need of shining. Otherwise there was an air of easy
goodfellowship about Cousin John that made Phoebe forget in a
moment that he was the governor of a great state and the idol of his
people.

“Bless me, what a big girl!” he cried, looking at Phoebe admiringly.

“I thought all your adopted children were infants, Judy, and fully
expected to find you wielding half a dozen nursing bottles.”

“No, indeed,” laughed the Little Mother; “the Darings are all
stalwarts, I assure you; an army of able-bodied boys and girls
almost ready to vote for you, Cousin John.”

“Oh-ho! Suffragettes, eh?” he retorted, looking at Phoebe

mischievously.

“Not yet,” she said, returning his smile. “The women of Riverdale
haven’t organized the army militant, I’m glad to say; for I’ve an idea
I would never join it.”

“You’re wrong,” he said quickly. “The women of the world will

dominate politics, some day, and you mustn’t be too old-fashioned in
your notions to join the procession of progress. But I mustn’t talk
shop to-day. What’s that tree, Judith; a live oak or a hickory? What a
quaint old town, and how cosy and delightful it seems! Some day,
little Cousin, I’m going to disappear from the world and rusticate in
just such a happy, forgotten paradise as Riverdale.”

They were walking up the street, now, heading directly for the
Daring residence. The governor carried a small traveling bag and a
light overcoat. Those who saw him looked at him curiously,
wondering what guest was visiting the Darings; but not one of the
gaping villagers suspected that this was their governor.
 Arriving at the house the Great Man tossed his bag and coat in the
hall and drew a hickory rocker to a shady spot on the lawn. Asking
permission to smoke a cigar—his one bad habit, he claimed—he
braced his feet against a tree, leaned back in his chair and began to
gossip comfortably with Judith, who sat beside him, of their
childhood days and all the queer things that had happened to them
both since. When Phoebe wanted to run away and leave the cousins
together they made her stay; so she got a bit of embroidery and sat
on the grass sewing and listening.

The children came home from school, awkwardly greeted the

Great Man, in whom they were distinctly disappointed because he
did not look the part, and then rushed away to follow their own
devices. By and by Cousin John glanced through the trees and was
astonished to observe in the distance an army of boys and girls
engaged in drilling, their white caps and sashes and their badges
giving them an impressive appearance.

“What’s all that?” asked the Governor curiously.

“That,” replied Judith with a laugh, “is the Toby Clark Marching
Club.”

“Toby Clark—Toby Clark,” he said musingly. “A local celebrity,

Judith?”

“Yes; a lame boy who has been arrested for stealing. These
children resent the unjust accusation and have organized the
Marching Club to express their indignation and their unfaltering
loyalty to their friend.”

“Good!” he cried; and then, after a moment, he added: “Unjust

accusation, Judy?”

“Absolutely unjust,” she replied.

He took down his feet and sat up straight in his chair.

 “Tell me about it,” he said.

“Phoebe can do that better than I,” was the answer. “She is one of
Toby Clark’s staunchest defenders.”

“Now, then, Phoebe, fire away.”

She told the story, quietly and convincingly, beginning with Judge
Ferguson’s sudden death and relating Mrs. Ritchie’s demand for her
box, its disappearance and the finding of evidence on the premises
of Toby Clark, who had been promptly arrested and held for trial on
the charge of stealing. She told of Mr. Spaythe’s unaccountable
defense of Toby, employing a lawyer, furnishing his bail, and then
giving him an asylum in his own house, and concluded with the
donation of fifty dollars by an unknown person-through Spaythe’s
bank—for the benefit of the Marching Club.

The governor listened without interruption or comment to the end,

but it was evident he was interested. When Phoebe had finished he
rose to his feet and walked over to where the boys and girls were
drilling, where he stood watching Don explain the maneuvers and
direct the exercises. The Great Man noted every child’s face and
marked its expression. Then he strode among them and facing the
astonished assemblage held up his hand.

“How many of you believe Toby Clark is innocent?” he asked.

The yell they gave was decidedly unanimous.

“How many of you would be willing to take his chance of going

free?” continued the governor in an earnest tone.

There was hesitation, this time.

“I would!” cried Don. Then he turned to the others. “All of you

who would be willing to take Toby Clark’s chance of going free, step
over here beside me.”
 Allerton and Becky, inspired by loyalty to the cause, moved over at
once. The others stood silent.

“It is this way, sir,” said Doris, who had no idea who the strange
man was, but was impressed by his voice, nevertheless, for it was a
voice accustomed to command respectful attention: “We all know
that Toby is innocent, but we are not at all sure he will go free.”

“Why not?”

“Because the law is so unjust, at times,” replied the little maid,

“and a very bad man who is a lawyer is trying to prove that Toby is
guilty.”

“It looks like he was, the way they’ve figured it out,” added Becky;
“only of course he can’t be.”

“Sometimes,” said the governor, as if to himself, “the innocent is

made to suffer for the guilty. Now, it seems to me the question is
this: If Toby Clark is innocent, who, then, is guilty? Find the guilty
one and Toby goes free. Otherwise—the law may be perverted and
justice miscarry.”

They looked very sober at this, and Don blurted out:

“We’re not detectives, sir, and we don’t know who is guilty. Hasn’t
the state any way of protecting its people? Isn’t there anyone whose
business it is to see that justice don’t miscarry? Our business is just
to stand by Toby Clark, ’cause we know he’s innocent, and we mean
to show ev’rybody in Riverdale that we believe Toby Clark couldn’t
do anything mean if he tried. He’s good stuff, all through, even if he
is a poor boy, and whatever happens we’ll stand by him to the last.”

The governor nodded his approval.

“That’s right,” he said. “Stand by your friends. There’s no better

motto than that. I wish you success.”
 Then he turned and walked away.

“Where is Toby Clark now?” he asked when he had rejoined

Phoebe and Judith.

“He is at Mr. Spaythe’s house. He doesn’t go out much, for this

dreadful charge against him makes him ashamed to face people,”
replied Phoebe.

“I want to see him,” said the governor. “Will you take me to him
after dinner?”

“Gladly!” cried Phoebe, sudden hope springing up in her breast,

for the governor was a power in the land.

He said nothing more on the subject until after dinner. Phoebe

almost feared he had forgotten about Toby Clark, for during the
afternoon he chatted with Cousin Judith and during dinner he joked
with Becky and Don and even with Sue, the demure and big-eyed.
Cousin John won the entire family without effort, and even Aunt
Hyacinth, hopping about in the kitchen, told the tea-kettle that “dis
yer guv’ner ain’t no diff’rence f’m a plain, ever’day man. He jus’
natcherly takes to de whole kit an’ caboodle, seein’ he’s cousin to
Miss Judy an’ not stuck up ner refrigerated a bit—no more ’n dem
blessed child’ns is.”

But after dinner he walked into the hall and picked his hat from
the rack, which Phoebe decided was a signal that he was ready to
go to Toby Clark. So she threw on a jacket and joined him, for the
evenings were getting cool of late, and together they strolled
through the back streets, avoiding the business part of the town,
and so reached Mr. Spaythe’s house.
 CHAPTER XIII

HOW TOBY SAW THE GREAT MAN

Mr. Spaythe himself opened the door and took a step backward in
astonishment.

“Why, Governor—is it really you?” he stammered.

“Yes. Good evening, Spaythe. I’ve called to see Toby Clark.”

Mr. Spaythe led the way to the library, thoroughly amazed at the
suddenly apparition of the state’s chief executive.

“I’ll call Toby,” he said briefly.

“Do not tell him who I am, please,” cautioned the governor. “I am
simply Judith Eliot’s cousin, and am at present visiting her.”

“I understand, sir.”

Toby came stumping in on his crutch, with a smile for his friend
Phoebe and a frank handshake for Miss Eliot’s cousin.

“I am a stranger here but have become interested in this

unfortunate accusation against you,” began Cousin John, in his easy,
conversational way. “No; don’t go away, Mr. Spaythe; there’s nothing
private about this interview. I merely want Toby Clark to tell me his
story and explain why they charge him with taking and rifling Mrs.
Ritchie’s box.”

“The story is easy, sir, but the explanation is difficult,” replied Toby,
and then he told in his own way the manner in which the
circumstantial evidence against him had been found. The boy’s story
did not differ materially from Phoebe’s, except that he added a few
details that she had neglected to mention.

“I can scarcely blame them for their suspicions,” Toby concluded.

“Being poor, they decided I longed for money and would not object
to taking that which belonged to some one else. As I knew the
contents of the box and had access to Judge Ferguson’s office, the
conclusion is natural that I helped myself to Mrs. Ritchie’s money
and bonds and afterward tried to hide the useless but incriminating
papers and the box.”

“Who discovered the box, and afterward the papers?” asked the
Governor.

“Our constable here, Sam Parsons. He is one of my best friends.

But they sent a policeman over from Bayport to help him.”

“How did Parsons happen to search your premises for such

evidence?”

Mr. Spaythe started to answer this question, but checked himself

and remained silent. It was Toby who replied:

“After I was arrested, on a warrant sworn out by Mrs. Ritchie, her

lawyer, a man named Kellogg, urged Parsons to search my house
and yard. He did so, and found the box. Afterward Kellogg insisted
on another search, and the papers were found.”

The governor looked grave.

“It is strong evidence,” said he, “and of the sort that convicts. Who
stole the box, Mr. Spaythe?”

The banker started at the abrupt question.

“I—I haven’t an idea, sir.”

 “Nor you, Toby?”

“No, sir. I’ve racked my brain many times in the attempt to guess;
but I can’t suspect anyone, with justice.”

“Well, I am sorry for your misfortune, young man. You seem to be

in a serious dilemma. It’s a peculiar case, to say the least of it, and I
can only say I hope you’ll come out on top and with colors flying. All
ready, Phoebe?”

As they walked back to the house the girl felt sorely disappointed
over the result of the interview, from which she had hoped so much.
The governor talked on all sorts of subjects except that of Toby Clark
and she replied as cheerfully as she could. Not until they were in
sight of the Daring house did he refer to the visit, and then it was to
say absently:

“Kellogg—Kellogg. What’s the lawyer’s other name?”

“Abner, sir.”

“Fine fellow?”

“I don’t like him,” said Phoebe.

“Ah! Judith tells me you’re investigating this case yourself; posing

as a sort of female detective.”

“Oh, no!” she protested. “Cousin Judith and I—merely in a

laughing way and yet earnest in our desire to help Toby—organized
a private conspiracy to probe the mystery in our own way and try to
discover its solution. I suppose, sir, we are very foolish to think we
can accomplish anything, but—”

“But you may succeed, nevertheless. I believe in girls. When

they’re sincere and determined they can accomplish wonders. By the
way, keep an eye on Abner Kellogg.”
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