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+*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41708 ***
+
+[Illustration]
+
+
+[Illustration: That which had come out of the east on this bright June
+morning was a ship's lifeboat about eighteen feet long.--Page 4.]
+
+
+
+
+JACK THE HUNCHBACK;
+
+  A STORY OF ADVENTURE ON THE
+  COAST OF MAINE.
+
+  BY JAMES OTIS,
+
+  _Author of "The Castaways," "A Runaway Brig,"
+  "Search for the Silver City," "The Treasure Finders,"
+  "With Lafayette at Yorktown," "With Washington at
+  Monmouth," "The Treasure of Cocos Island," "Wrecked on
+  Spider Island," etc., etc._
+
+  NEW YORK:
+  A. L. BURT, PUBLISHER
+
+  Copyright, 1892,
+  BY BRADLEY & WOODRUFF.
+
+ _All rights reserved._
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+   CHAPTER                                                          PAGE
+
+      I. ADRIFT                                                        1
+
+     II. AT AUNT NANCY'S                                              14
+
+    III. LEARNING TO MILK                                             28
+
+     IV. PURSUED                                                      40
+
+      V. AN ENCOUNTER                                                 52
+
+     VI. A MENTAL STRUGGLE                                            64
+
+    VII. FARMER PRATT                                                 75
+
+   VIII. A SECOND WARNING                                             88
+
+     IX. THE ALARM                                                    99
+
+      X. SICKNESS                                                    111
+
+     XI. GARDENING                                                   122
+
+    XII. LOUIS'S ADVENTURE                                           137
+
+   XIII. THE SEWING CIRCLE                                           152
+
+    XIV. AFTER THE STORM                                             167
+
+     XV. BROTHER ABNER                                               179
+
+    XVI. A HURRIED DEPARTURE                                         191
+
+   XVII. CAMP MEETING                                                204
+
+  XVIII. A DISASTER                                                  218
+
+    XIX. JACK'S PROPOSITION                                          232
+
+     XX. BILL DEAN                                                   247
+
+    XXI. STARTLING INFORMATION                                       261
+
+   XXII. THE ARRIVAL                                                 273
+
+
+
+
+_JACK THE HUNCHBACK._
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+ADRIFT.
+
+
+Tom Pratt firmly believed he was the most unfortunate boy in Maine when,
+on a certain June morning, his father sent him to the beach for a load
+of seaweed.
+
+Tom had never been in love with a farmer's life.
+
+He fancied that in any other sphere of action he could succeed, if not
+better, certainly more easily, than by weeding turnips or hoeing corn on
+the not very productive farm.
+
+But either planting or digging was preferable to loading a huge cart
+with the provokingly slippery weeds which his father insisted on
+gathering for compost each summer.
+
+Therefore, when the patient oxen, after much goading and an unusual
+amount of noise from their impatient driver, stood knee-deep in the surf
+contentedly chewing their cuds and enjoying the cool footbath, Tom,
+instead of beginning his work, sat at the forward part of the cart
+gazing seaward, thinking, perhaps, how pleasant must be a sailor's life
+while the ocean was calm and smiling as on this particular day.
+
+So deeply engrossed was he in idleness that his father's stern command
+from the hillside a short distance away, "to 'tend to his work an' stop
+moonin'," passed unheeded, and the same ox-goad he had been using might
+have been applied to his own body but for the fact that just as Farmer
+Pratt came within striking distance a tiny speck on the water attracted
+his attention.
+
+"It looks to me as if that might be a lapstreak boat out there, Tommy.
+Can you see anybody in her?"
+
+"I reckon that's what it is, father, an' she must be adrift."
+
+Farmer Pratt mounted the cart and scrutinized the approaching object
+until there could no longer be any question as to what it was, when Tom
+said gleefully,--
+
+"It must be a ship's boat, an' if she hasn't got a crew aboard, we'll
+make a bigger haul than we could by cartin' seaweed for a week."
+
+"Yes, them kind cost more'n a dory," the farmer replied dreamily, as he
+mentally calculated the amount of money for which she might be sold. "I
+reckon we'll take her into Portland an' get a tidy--"
+
+"I can see a feller's head!" Tom interrupted, "an' it shets off our
+chance of sellin' her."
+
+That the boat had an occupant was evident.
+
+A closely shaven crown appeared above the stem as if its owner had but
+just awakened, and was peering out to see where his voyage was about to
+end.
+
+Nearer and nearer the little craft drifted until she was dancing on the
+shore line of the surf, and the figure in the bow gazed as intently
+landward as the farmer and his son did seaward.
+
+"It's a boy, father, an' he ain't as big as me!" Tom cried. "Well, that
+beats anything I ever saw!"
+
+This last remark probably referred to the general appearance of the
+young voyager.
+
+He was an odd-looking little fellow, with a head which seemed unusually
+small because the hair was closely cropped, and a bent, misshapen body
+several sizes too large for the thin legs which barely raised it above
+the gunwales. The face was by no means beautiful, but the expression of
+anxiety and fear caused it to appeal directly to Tom's heart, if not to
+his father's.
+
+Farmer Pratt was not pleased at thus learning that the boat had an
+occupant.
+
+Empty, she would have been a source of profit; but although there was
+apparently no one save the deformed lad aboard, he could make no legal
+claim upon her.
+
+The craft was there, however, and would speedily be overturned unless he
+waded out into the surf at the risk of a rheumatic attack, to pull her
+inshore.
+
+Although decidedly averse to performing any charitable deed, he did this
+without very much grumbling, and Tom was a most willing assistant.
+
+That which had come out of the east on this bright June morning was a
+ship's lifeboat about eighteen feet long, and with the name "Atlanta"
+painted on the gunwales.
+
+She was a much more valuable craft than Mr. Pratt had ever seen ashore
+on Scarborough beach, and yet he failed to calculate her value
+immediately, because as the bow grated on the sand the misshapen boy,
+from whose white lips not a word had escaped during all this time,
+suddenly lifted what at first appeared to be a bundle of cloth.
+
+This act in itself would not have caused any surprise, but at the same
+moment a familiar noise was heard from beneath the coverings.
+
+Farmer Pratt stepped back quickly in genuine alarm and wiped his face
+with the sleeve of his shirt as he exclaimed,--
+
+"Well, this beats anything I ever seen!"
+
+"It's a baby, father!" Tom cried, starting forward to take the burden
+from the crooked little sailor's arms; but the latter retreated as if
+afraid the child was to be carried away, and the farmer replied
+testily,--
+
+"Of course it's a baby. Haven't I heard you cry often enough to know
+that?"
+
+"But how did it come here?"
+
+"That's what beats me"; and then, as if suddenly realizing that the
+apparent mystery might be readily solved, he asked the stranger, "Where
+did you come from, sonny?"
+
+"From Savannah."
+
+"Sho! Why, that's way down in Georgy. You didn't sail them many miles in
+this 'ere little boat?"
+
+"No, sir. We broke adrift from Captain Littlefield's ship yesterday when
+she blowed up, an' the baby's awful hungry."
+
+"Ship blowed up, eh? Whereabouts was she?"
+
+"Out there"; and the boy pointed eastward in an undecided manner, as if
+not exactly certain where he had come from.
+
+"What made her blow up?" Tom asked curiously.
+
+"I don't know. There was an awful splosion like more'n a hundred bunches
+of firecrackers, an' the captain put Louis an' me in the lifeboat to
+wait till his wife got some things from the cabin. While all the sailors
+was runnin' 'round wild like, we got adrift. I hollered an' hollered,
+but nobody saw us." Then he added in a lower tone, "Louis cried last
+night for somethin' to eat, an' he must be pretty hungry now."
+
+"Well, well, well!" and as the thought of whether he would be paid for
+the trouble of pulling the boat ashore came into the farmer's mind, he
+said quickly, "'Cordin' to that you don't own this boat?"
+
+"She belongs to the ship."
+
+"An' seein's how the vessel ain't anywhere near, I reckon I've as much
+right to this craft as anybody else. Where do you count on goin'?"
+
+"If we could only get back to New York I'm sure I would be able to find
+the captain's house."
+
+"It's a powerful long ways from here, sonny; but I'll see that you are
+put in a comfortable place till somethin' can be done. What's your
+name?"
+
+"John W. Dudley; but everybody calls me Jack, an' this is Louis
+Littlefield," the boy replied as he removed the coverings, exposing to
+view a child about two years old.
+
+Master Tom was delighted with the appearance of the little pink and
+white stranger, who was dressed in cambric and lace, with a thin gold
+chain around his neck, and would have shaken hands with him then and
+there if Jack had not stepped quickly back as he said,--
+
+"He's afraid of folks he don't know, an' if you get him to cryin' I'll
+have a worse time than last night. What he wants is somethin' to eat."
+
+"Take 'em right up to the house, Tommy, an' tell mother to give them
+breakfast. When I get the boat hauled around (for I've got every reason
+to consider her mine), I'll carry both out to Thornton's."
+
+Jack clambered from the craft, disdaining Tom's assistance, and, taking
+the child in his arms, much as a small cat might carry a very large
+kitten, stood waiting for his guide to lead the way.
+
+Farmer Pratt's son was in no especial hurry to reach home, for while
+escorting the strangers he certainly could not be expected to shovel
+seaweed, and Jack said as Tom walked leisurely over the hot sand,--
+
+"If you don't go faster, the baby'll begin to cry, for he's pretty near
+starved."
+
+"Why not let him walk? He's big enough; his legs are twice as large as
+Mrs. Libby's baby, an' he went alone a good while ago."
+
+"I'd rather carry him," Jack replied; and then he refused to enter into
+any conversation until they were at the foot of the narrow, shady lane
+leading to the house, when he asked, "Who's Mr. Thornton?"
+
+"He keeps the poor farm, an' father's goin' to take you out there."
+
+"What for? We want to go to New York."
+
+"Well, you see I don't reckon you'll get as far as that without a slat
+of money, an' father wants to put you fellers where you'll be took care
+of for a while."
+
+Jack stopped suddenly, allowed the baby to slip from his arms under the
+shade of an apple-tree whose blossoms filled the air with perfume, as he
+said angrily,--
+
+"Louis sha'n't be taken to the poorhouse! I'll walk my feet off before
+anybody but his mother shall get him."
+
+"You couldn't go as far as New York, an' if he's so hungry you'd better
+let him have some bread an' milk."
+
+"How long before your father'll be back?"
+
+"It'll take him a couple of hours to carry the boat down to the Neck,
+an' that's the only place where she can lie without gettin' stove."
+
+"Then we'll go into your house long enough to feed the baby, an' I'll
+leave before he comes."
+
+"All right," and Tom took up the line of march once more. "I don't know
+as I blame you, for Thornton's ain't the nicest place that ever was, an'
+I'd rather haul seaweed for a month than stay there one night."
+
+Jack looked wistfully at the little farmhouse with its beds of old
+maid's pinks and bachelor's buttons in front of the muslin-curtained
+windows, thinking, perhaps, that shelter should be given him there
+rather than among the town's paupers; but he made no remark, and a few
+moments later they were standing in the cool kitchen while Tom explained
+to his mother under what circumstances he had made the acquaintance of
+the strangers.
+
+Mrs. Pratt was quite as economical as her husband; but the baby face
+touched her heart fully as much as did the fact that the boat in which
+the children had drifted ashore would amply repay any outlay in the way
+of food and shelter.
+
+She accepted the statement made by Tom, that the children were to be
+sent to Thornton's, because the town provided such an asylum, and there
+was no good reason, in her mind at least, why it should not be utilized
+in a case like this.
+
+Thus, with the pleasing knowledge that her involuntary guests would
+remain but a short time and cost her nothing, she set out a plentiful
+supply of fresh milk and sweet home-made bread, as she said,--
+
+"Fill yourselves right full, children, for it will rest you to eat, and
+after you've had a nice ride, Mrs. Thornton will give you a chance to
+sleep."
+
+Jack looked up quickly as if about to make an angry reply, and then, as
+little Louis went toward the table eagerly, he checked himself, devoting
+all his attention to the child by waiting until the latter had finished
+before he partook of as much as a spoonful.
+
+Then he ate rapidly, and after emptying two bowls of milk, asked,--
+
+"May I put some of the bread in my pocket?'"
+
+"Certainly, child; but it won't be needed, for there is plenty to eat at
+Thornton's, and most likely in a few days the selectmen will find some
+way to send word to the baby's relatives."
+
+Jack put three slices of bread in his pocket before replying, and then,
+as with an effort he lifted Louis in his arms, said,--
+
+"We're not goin' to the poor farm, ma'am. We are bound to get to New
+York, an' thank you for the bread an' milk."
+
+Just at that moment Mrs. Pratt was intent on carrying the dishes from
+the table to the pantry, therefore she did not see the deformed boy
+leave the house quickly, Tom following close behind.
+
+Jack heard her call after him to wait until Mr. Pratt should return; but
+he shook his head decidedly, and trudged out from the green-carpeted
+lane to the dusty road, bent only on saving his little charge from
+the ignominy of the poorhouse.
+
+"Say, hold on for father!" Tom cried. "You can't walk even so far as
+Saco, an' where'll you sleep to-night?"
+
+"I'd rather stay in the woods, an' so had Louis," Jack replied; and then
+in reply to the child's fretful cries, he added, "Don't fuss; I'll find
+your mother."
+
+"But how can you do it if the ship has blowed up?" Tom asked, quickening
+his steps to keep pace with the deformed boy. "Perhaps mother'll let you
+sleep in my bed to-night, an' you won't have to go out to the poor
+farm."
+
+"And then again she mightn't, so I guess we won't risk it."
+
+"Have you got any money?"
+
+"Not a cent."
+
+Tom halted irresolutely for a moment, and then his charitable impulses
+gained the mastery.
+
+"Here's half of what I've got, an' I wish it was more."
+
+Involuntarily Jack extended his hand for the gift.
+
+Four marbles were dropped into it, and then Tom turned and ran like a
+deer as if afraid he might regret his generosity.
+
+The dusty road wound its way among the fields like a yellow ribbon on a
+green cloth, offering no shelter from the burning rays of the sun, and
+stretching out in a dreary length.
+
+The hunchback plodded steadily on with his heavy burden, and as he
+walked the good people in the neighboring city of Portland were reading
+in their morning papers the following item:--
+
+     A SINGULAR EXPLOSION.
+
+     The ship "Atlanta" anchored inside the breakwater just before
+     midnight, and her master reports a remarkable accident.
+
+     The "Atlanta" loaded at Savannah last week with cotton and
+     turpentine, bound for Bremen. Owing to baffling winds she was
+     eighty miles off Wood Island yesterday afternoon when an explosion
+     occurred which blew off the main hatch, and was followed by dense
+     volumes of what appeared to be smoke.
+
+     Believing the ship to be on fire, Capt. Littlefield's first thought
+     was of his wife and child, who were on board. The lifeboat was
+     lowered, and in her were placed the captain's son and the cabin
+     boy, a hunchback.
+
+     Before Mrs. Littlefield could be gotten over the side, the sailors
+     reported no fire in the hold, and the vapor supposed to be smoke
+     was probably the gases arising from the turpentine stored in porous
+     barrels of red oak.
+
+     In the excitement no particular attention was paid to the children
+     for some time, since the boat was believed to be firmly secured,
+     and the consternation of the captain can be imagined when it was
+     discovered that the craft had gone adrift.
+
+     The ship stood off and on several hours without discovering any
+     signs of the missing ones, and was then headed for this harbor.
+
+     As a matter of course the captain will be obliged to proceed on his
+     voyage without delay; but Mrs. Littlefield is to remain in town
+     several days hoping to receive some news of her child, and it is
+     believed that the revenue cutter "Cushing" will cruise along the
+     shore until the boat is found.
+
+     It is understood that a liberal reward will be offered for any
+     information which may be given regarding the whereabouts of the
+     children, and until that has been done the editors of this paper
+     will thankfully receive tidings of the missing ones in case they
+     have been seen or sighted.
+
+     It is particularly desirable that masters of vessels should keep a
+     sharp lookout for a drifting boat.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+AT AUNT NANCY'S.
+
+
+Jack toiled manfully on, running until his breath came in such short
+gasps that he was forced to walk slowly, and then pressing forward once
+more as if expecting Farmer Pratt was in full pursuit, urged to rapid
+travelling by the fear that little Louis would be taken to the poor
+farm.
+
+Up the long, steep hill, past the railroad station, until three roads
+stretched out before him: one straight ahead, another to the right, and
+the third to the left.
+
+He believed there was no time for hesitation.
+
+The one leading toward the south was the most inviting because of the
+trees scattered here and there along its edges, and into this he turned,
+going directly away from the city where Louis's mother awaited tidings
+of her darling.
+
+The child grew fretful because of the heat and the dust, and the little
+hunchback heeded not his own fatigue in the effort to quiet him.
+
+On he went, literally staggering under his heavy burden, until the
+yellow road seemed to mellow into a mist which danced and fell, and rose
+and danced again before his eyes until further progress was wellnigh
+impossible.
+
+They had arrived at a tiny stream, the banks of which were fringed with
+alders, and overhead a wooden bridge afforded a most pleasing shelter
+from the sun's burning rays.
+
+Wiping the perspiration from his face, Jack looked back.
+
+No one was in sight.
+
+If Farmer Pratt had come in pursuit he might have mistaken the road, or
+turned homeward again some time previous, believing the boat not of
+sufficient value to warrant the journey which, if successful, would only
+end at the poorhouse.
+
+"Here's where we're goin' to stop, Louis," Jack said, lowering the child
+to the ground. "It'll be cool among these bushes, and if we turn into
+the fields a bit no one can see us from the road."
+
+Then Jack took off his shoes and stockings, holding them on one arm as
+he raised the child with the other, and, wading through the shallow
+water, made his way among the bushes a distance of forty or fifty feet
+to where the leafy screen would prevent passing travellers from seeing
+them.
+
+"I tell you what, the water feels good around a fellow's feet. I'm goin'
+to give you the same kind of a dose, an' then you'll be ready to go to
+sleep."
+
+Louis, sitting on the grass at the edge of the stream, offered no
+objection to the plan, and Jack soon made him ready for the partial
+bath.
+
+As the child's feet touched the water he laughed with glee, and Jack's
+fatigue was forgotten in his delight at having been able to afford this
+pleasure.
+
+After a few moments of such sport the misshapen guardian wiped the pink
+feet carefully with his handkerchief, replaced the shoes and stockings,
+took from his pocket the bread which was crumbled into many fragments,
+moistened them in the brook, and fed his charge until the latter's eyes
+closed in slumber.
+
+Not before he had arranged a screen of leaves in such a manner that the
+sun would be prevented from looking in upon the sleeping child did Jack
+think of himself and then he too indulged in the much-needed rest.
+
+The hours passed until the sun began to sink in the west.
+
+The birds came out from among the leaves and peeped down curiously at
+the sleeping children, while a colony of frogs leaped upon a
+moss-covered log, croaking in chorus their surprise at these unfamiliar
+visitors.
+
+One venerable fellow seemed to think this a most fitting opportunity to
+read his sons a homily on the sin of running away, and after the lengthy
+lesson was concluded he plunged into the water with a hoarse note of
+disapprobation, making such a splash that Jack leaped to his feet
+thoroughly awake and decidedly frightened.
+
+The hasty departure of the other frogs explained the cause of the
+disturbance, and he laughed to himself as he said,--
+
+"I reckon my hump frightened them as much as they did me."
+
+He made a hurried toilet, bathed Louis's face with his wet handkerchief
+until the little fellow awoke, and then continued what was at the same
+time a flight and a journey.
+
+"We've got to run the risk that somebody else will try to send us to the
+poor farm," he said when they had trudged along the dusty road until the
+child became fretful again. "At the next nice-lookin' house we come to
+I'm goin' to ask the folks if they'll let me do chores enough to pay for
+our lodging."
+
+Fully half an hour passed before they were where this plan could be
+carried into effect, and then Jack halted in front of a small white
+cottage which stood at the head of an arm of the sea, partially hidden
+by the trees.
+
+"Here's where we've got to try our luck," the boy said as he surveyed
+the house intently, and almost as he spoke a tiny woman with tiny
+ringlets either side her wrinkled face appeared in the doorway, starting
+back as if in alarm on seeing the newcomers.
+
+"Goodness me!" she exclaimed as she suddenly observed Jack staring
+intently at her. "Why don't you come out of the sun? That child will be
+burned brown as an Injun if you stand there long."
+
+Jack pressed Louis closer to him as he stepped forward a few paces, and
+asked hesitatingly,--
+
+"Please, ma'am, if you'll let us stay here to-night I'll do up all the
+chores as slick as a pin."
+
+The little woman's surprise deepened almost into bewilderment as she
+glanced first at Louis, who had by this time clambered down from his
+guardian's arms, and then at Jack's boots, which were covered thickly
+with dust.
+
+"Oh, I'll brush myself before I come in," the boy said quickly,
+believing her hesitation was caused by the dirt on his garments, "an' we
+won't be a mite of trouble."
+
+The mistress of the cottage took Louis by the hand and led him, with
+Jack following close behind, into the wide, cool hall, the floor of
+which was covered with rugs woven with representations of impossible
+animals in all the colors of the rainbow.
+
+"Now tell me where you came from, and why it is necessary to ask for a
+home?"
+
+Jack hesitated an instant.
+
+The fear that she too might insist on sending Louis to the poor farm
+caused him to question whether he had better tell the whole truth, but
+another look at the kindly face decided him.
+
+He related his story with more detail than he had to Farmer Pratt, and
+when he concluded the little woman said in a motherly tone,--
+
+"You poor children! If the ship exploded there's no one for you to go
+home to, and what _will_ become of such a helpless pair?"
+
+"I can't tell I'm sure, ma'am; but I know we ain't helpless"; and Jack
+spoke very decidedly now. "I'm big an' can work, so I'll take care of
+Louis till we find his father."
+
+"But if the ship was blown all to pieces?" the little woman continued.
+
+"That don't make any difference," Jack interrupted. "We're goin' right
+to his house in New York some time, no matter how far it is."
+
+"But it's a terribly long distance, and you children will surely be
+sun-struck before you get even to Boston!" Then she added quickly, "Here
+I am forgetting that you must be hungry! Come straight away into the
+kitchen while I see what there is in the cupboard, for Aunt Nancy Curtis
+never lets any one, much less children, want for food very long in her
+house."
+
+"Are you Aunt Nancy?" Jack asked.
+
+"I'm aunt to everybody in the neighborhood, which ain't many, and two or
+three more nephews won't make any difference. Set right up to the table,
+and after you've had a glass of cool milk, a piece of chicken and some
+cake I baked to put away for the summer boarders, we'll see what can be
+done."
+
+Jack was disposed to be just a trifle jealous of Louis's evident
+admiration for this quaint little Aunt Nancy. He had already taken her
+by the hand, and, in his baby fashion, was telling some story which no
+one, probably not even himself, could understand.
+
+"You are a dear little boy," the old lady said as she led him into the
+kitchen; "but neither you nor Jack here is any more calculated to walk
+to New York than I am to go to China this minute."
+
+"If you'll let me have a brush I'll get some of this dust off," Jack
+said as he glanced at the well-scoured floor and then at his shoes. "I'm
+not fit to go anywhere till I look more decent."
+
+"Here's a whisk-broom. Be careful not to break the handle, and don't
+throw it on the ground when you're done," Aunt Nancy said as she handed
+the brush to Jack. "There's the pump, and here's a towel and piece of
+soap, so scrub yourself as much as you please, for boys never can be too
+clean. I'll comb the baby's hair while you're gone, and then we'll have
+supper."
+
+Louis made not the slightest protest when his misshapen little guardian
+left him alone with Aunt Nancy. He had evidently decided that she was a
+woman who could be trusted, and had travelled so much during the day
+that even a journey to the pump was more than he cared to undertake.
+
+Jack brushed and scrubbed, and rubbed his face with the towel, after
+holding his head under the pump, until the skin glowed red, but cleanly.
+
+When he entered the kitchen again where the little woman and Louis were
+seated cosily at the table, he was presentable even to Aunt Nancy, in
+whose eyes the least particle of dirt was an abomination.
+
+He took the vacant chair by Louis's side, and was considerably
+surprised, because it was something so unusual in his experience, to see
+the little woman clasp her withered hands and invoke a blessing upon
+"the strangers within her gates," when she had thanked her Father for
+all his bounties.
+
+"I went to meetin' once down in Savannah," Jack said; "but I didn't know
+folks had 'em right in their houses."
+
+Aunt Nancy looked at him with astonishment, and replied gravely,--
+
+"My child, it is never possible to give too much praise for all we are
+permitted to enjoy, and one needn't wait until he is in church before
+speaking to our Father."
+
+Jack did not exactly understand what she meant, but he knew from the
+expression on the wrinkled face that it was perfectly correct, and at
+once proceeded to give his undivided attention to the food which had
+been put upon his plate with a liberal hand.
+
+How thoroughly enjoyable was that meal in the roomy old kitchen, through
+which the summer breezes wafted perfume from the honeysuckles, and the
+bees sang at the open windows while intent on the honey harvest!
+
+When the children's hunger was appeased, it seemed as if half their
+troubles had suddenly vanished.
+
+Louis crowed and talked after his own peculiar fashion; Jack told
+stories of life on board the "Atlanta," and Aunt Nancy appeared to enjoy
+this "visiting" quite as much as did her guests.
+
+The housework was to be done, however, and could not be neglected,
+deeply interested though the little woman was in the yarns Jack spun,
+therefore she said as she began to collect the soiled dishes,--
+
+"Now if you will take care of the baby I'll have the kitchen cleaned in
+a twinkling, and then we'll go out under the big oak-tree where I love
+to sit when the sun is painting the clouds in the west with red and
+gold."
+
+"Louis can take care of himself if we put him on the floor," Jack
+replied, "and I will dry the dishes for you; I've done it lots of times
+on the 'Atlanta.'"
+
+The little woman could not refuse this proffered aid, although she
+looked very much as if she fancied the work would not be done exactly to
+her satisfaction, and after glancing at Jack's hands to make certain
+they were perfectly clean, she began operations.
+
+Much to her surprise, the deformed boy was very apt at such tasks, and
+Aunt Nancy said as she looked over her spectacles at him while he
+carefully dried one of her best China cups,--
+
+"Well I declare! If you ain't the first boy I ever saw who was fit to
+live with an old maid like me. You are handier than half the girls I
+have here when the summer boarders come, and if you could only milk a
+cow we should get along famously."
+
+"It wouldn't take me long to learn," Jack said quickly; for he was eager
+to assist the little lady as much as possible, having decided in his own
+mind that this would be a very pleasant abiding place for himself and
+Louis until the weather should be cooler, when the tramp to New York
+could be continued with less discomfort. "If you'd show me how once I'm
+sure I'd soon find out, and--"
+
+"It won't do any harm to try at all events," Aunt Nancy replied
+thoughtfully; "but the cow hasn't come home yet, and there's plenty of
+time."
+
+When the dishes were washed and set carefully away in the cupboard, the
+little woman explaining to her assistant where each particular article
+of crockery belonged, Jack began to sweep the already painfully clean
+floor. Aunt Nancy wiped with a damp towel imaginary specks of dirt from
+the furniture, and Louis, as if realizing the importance of winning the
+affections of his hostess, laid his head on the rag rug and closed his
+eyes in slumber before the work of putting the kitchen to rights was
+finished.
+
+"Dear little baby! I suppose he's all tired out," Aunt Nancy said as she
+took him in her arms, leaving to Jack the important duty of folding one
+of her best damask tablecloths, a task which, under other circumstances,
+she would not have trusted to her most intimate friend. "I'm not very
+handy with children, but it seems as if I ought to be able to undress
+this one."
+
+"Of course you can. All there is to do is unbutton the things an' pull
+them off."
+
+Aunt Nancy was by no means as awkward at such work as she would have her
+guest believe.
+
+In a few moments she had undressed Louis without awakening him, and
+clothed him for the night in one of her bedgowns, which, as a matter of
+course, was much too long, but so strongly scented with lavender that
+Jack felt positive the child could not fail to sleep sweetly and
+soundly.
+
+Then laying him in the centre of a rest-inviting bed which was covered
+with the most intricate of patchwork quilts, in a room on the
+ground-floor that overlooked the lane and the big oak-tree, they left
+him with a smile on his lips, as if the angels had already begun to
+weave dream-pictures for him.
+
+Aunt Nancy led the way out through the "fore-room," and, that Jack might
+see the beauties it contained, she opened one of the shutters, allowing
+the rays of the setting sun to fall upon the pictures of two of the dead
+and gone Curtis family, an impossible naval engagement colored in the
+most gorgeous style, two vases filled with alum-encrusted grasses, and a
+huge crockery rooster with unbending feathers of every hue.
+
+This last-named ornament particularly attracted Jack's attention, and
+during fully five minutes he stood gazing at it in silent admiration,
+but without daring to ask if he could take the brilliantly painted bird
+in his hands.
+
+"Handsome, isn't it?" Aunt Nancy asked, turning her head slowly from
+side to side while she critically viewed the combination of colors much
+as if she had never seen them before.
+
+"Its perfectly splendid!"
+
+"I'm glad you like it. I think a great deal of him; too much to allow a
+live rooster on the place crowing around when he can't. It was presented
+to me in my girlhood days by a young gentleman whom every one thought
+was destined to be an ornament in the world; but--"
+
+Aunt Nancy paused. Her thoughts had gone trooping down the dusty avenues
+of the past, and after waiting fully a moment Jack asked,--
+
+"Where is the young gentleman now?"
+
+"I don't know," was the reply sandwiched between two sobs, and then Aunt
+Nancy became her old self once more.
+
+She closed the shutters carefully, waved her apron in the air to
+frighten away any overbold dust specks, and the two went out on the
+long, velvety lane that the little woman might admire the glories of the
+setting sun.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+LEARNING TO MILK.
+
+
+A low bench painted green and fastened against the trunk of the old oak,
+that there might be no possibility of its being overturned, was the
+place where Aunt Nancy told Jack she spent the pleasant summer evenings.
+
+"Except where there are caterpillars around," she added, "and then I
+carry the rocking-chair to the stone doorstep. If you could kill
+caterpillars, Jack, you would be doing the greatest possible favor, for
+they certainly make my life wretched at times, although I don't know why
+a person should be afraid of anything God has made."
+
+"Oh, I can kill 'em," Jack replied confidently. "Bring on your
+caterpillars when you want 'em killed, an' I'll fix the job. There ain't
+any trouble about that."
+
+"But I don't want to bring them on," Aunt Nancy said, hesitatingly. "I
+never like to touch the little crawling things, and you will have to do
+that part of the work."
+
+"I'll see to it," Jack replied, and believing she would be free in the
+future from the pests which interfered with her twilight pleasures, Aunt
+Nancy's face took on an expression of complete satisfaction.
+
+"Now let's talk about yourself and the baby," she said. "You must not
+attempt to walk to New York while this hot weather lasts, and it would
+cost a power of money to go there on the cars."
+
+"I know it," Jack replied with a sigh, "but so long as there isn't a
+cent between us, I guess we'll have to foot it."
+
+"I've been thinking why you shouldn't stay here a spell. You make
+yourself so handy about the house that I sha'n't mind the extra trouble
+with the baby, and there are times while the summer boarders are here
+when I do need a boy very badly."
+
+"That's just what I'd like," and Jack spoke emphatically. "If you'll let
+us stay two or three weeks I'll pay my way in work, an' see that Louis
+don't bother you."
+
+"I believe that will be the best way out of it. The summer boarders are
+to come in two or three weeks. Before then I'll write to my brother
+Abner, in Binghamton, who'll be sure to know about Capt. Littlefield,
+and perhaps he can make some arrangement for your passage."
+
+"Where's Binghamton?" Jack asked in perplexity.
+
+"Why, it's in York State. I ain't certain how near to the big city, but
+of course it can't be very far away. Abner's a master hand at readin',
+so if he don't happen to know Capt. Littlefield as a friend, he'd be
+sure to have heard of him. When he was home here he was acquainted with
+everybody for fifty miles around. He could tell you who each man
+married, how many children they had, and kept the run of everything that
+happened in the neighborhood. I used to say Abner minded other people's
+business better than his own, and that _was_ his fault," she added with
+a sigh. "But we all of us have our faults, and it's never right to speak
+about those of another before we have fairly weighed our own. He's the
+one, though, to find the baby's father, so you needn't have any further
+trouble regarding it; but wait till we get a letter from him."
+
+Jack was not as confident as Aunt Nancy appeared to be that this
+"brother Abner" would know all the people in New York; but he was more
+than content to remain where he was for a certain length of time in the
+hope of being able to reach the city in some less laborious way than by
+walking.
+
+Then Aunt Nancy told him about herself, and of the farm which had
+belonged to her father, but descended to her at his death, because Abner
+was unwilling to spend his time on land so unproductive that the
+severest labor failed to bring forth a remunerative crop.
+
+"It isn't very good, I'll admit," she said reflectively; "but by taking
+a few summer boarders I've been able to make both ends meet, and that's
+all an old maid like me ought to expect."
+
+"Have you always lived alone?"
+
+"It's nigh on to twelve years since father died, and, excepting in the
+summer, I've had neither child nor chick here. An old woman ain't
+pleasant company at the best, and if Abner's daughters don't like to
+visit their aunt, I can't say I blame them."
+
+"Well I do!" Jack said decidedly. "I think you're the nicest old lady I
+ever saw, and I'd be willin' to stay here all the time if I could."
+
+Aunt Nancy was not accustomed to flattery; but it must be admitted, from
+the expression on her wrinkled face, that it was far from unpleasant,
+and by way of reward she patted Jack on the head almost affectionately.
+
+"Perhaps you won't think so after a while," she said with a smile; and
+then as Jack was about to make protestations, she added, "it's time to
+go after the cow, and then I'll give you the first lesson in milking."
+
+The farm was not so large that it required many moments to reach the
+pasture, for the old lady had only to walk to the rear of the barn where
+the crumple-horned cow was standing at the end of a narrow lane awaiting
+her coming.
+
+As the animal stepped carefully over the bars after they had been let
+down, Jack could not help thinking she was just such a cow as one would
+fancy should belong to Aunt Nancy.
+
+She walked in a dainty manner, acting almost as if trying not to bring
+any unnecessary amount of dirt into the barnyard, and behaving in every
+way as one would say her mistress might under similar circumstances.
+
+"While I go for the milking pail you pull some clover from under the
+trees, for she always expects a lunch while being milked," Aunt Nancy
+said; and in a few moments Jack had gathered such a feast as caused the
+sedate animal to toss her head in disapprobation at the unusually large
+amount she was expected to devour after having been cropping pasture
+grass all day.
+
+With a pail which had been scoured until it shone like silver, and a
+tiny three-legged stool, white as the floor of her kitchen, the little
+woman returned.
+
+Then with many a "Co, Bossy! So, Bossy!" as if the quiet-looking animal
+was expected to give way to the most violent demonstrations of wrath,
+Aunt Nancy placed the stool in the most advantageous position, and said,
+as she seated herself,--
+
+"Now watch me a few minutes, and you'll see how easy it is after getting
+the knack."
+
+Jack gazed intently at every movement, his eyes opened wide with
+astonishment as the streams of milk poured into the pail with a peculiar
+"swish," and before the creamy foam had fully covered the bottom he was
+quite positive it would be no difficult matter for him to perform the
+same operation.
+
+"I can do it now, if you'll get up."
+
+Aunt Nancy vacated the stool without hesitation, for milking seemed such
+a simple matter that there was no question in her mind but that it could
+be learned in one very short lesson, and Jack sat down.
+
+The cow looked around at this change of attendants, but was too
+well-bred to express any great amount of surprise, and the hunchback
+took hold of what appeared like so many fat fingers.
+
+Fancying that strength alone was necessary, he pulled most vigorously.
+
+Not a drop of milk came; but he accomplished something, for the animal
+tossed her head impatiently.
+
+Jack pulled harder the second time, and then, as Aunt Nancy screamed
+loudly, the cow started at full speed for the other side of the yard,
+facing about there at the boy whom she believed was tormenting her
+wilfully, while she shook her head in a menacing manner.
+
+Fortunately the milk-pail was not overturned; but in preventing such a
+catastrophe, Jack rolled from the stool to the ground with no gentle
+force, terrified quite as much by Aunt Nancy's screams as by the sudden
+movement of old crumple-horn.
+
+"Why, what's the matter?" he asked, as he scrambled to his feet, looking
+first at his hostess, and then at the frightened animal.
+
+"I ought to have known a boy couldn't milk," Aunt Nancy said impatiently
+and almost angrily. "It seems as if they have a faculty of hurting dumb
+beasts."
+
+"But I didn't mean to," Jack said apologetically. "I worked just as you
+did, and pulled a good deal harder, but yet the milk wouldn't come."
+
+Aunt Nancy made no reply.
+
+Taking up the pail and stool she walked across the yard, trying to
+soothe the cow in the peculiar language she had used when beginning the
+task; and Jack, understanding that he had hurt the feelings of both his
+hostess and her pet, followed contritely, as he said coaxingly,--
+
+"Please let me try it once more. I am certain I can do it if you'll give
+me another chance."
+
+It was not until Aunt Nancy had led the cow back to the pile of clover,
+and there stroked her head and ears until she was ready to resume the
+rudely interrupted feast, that any attention was paid to Jack's
+entreaties.
+
+"I'll show you once more," she finally said, "and you must watch to see
+exactly how I move my fingers. It isn't the pulling that brings the
+milk, but the pressure of the hand."
+
+This time Jack paid strict attention, and in a few moments began to
+fancy he had discovered what Aunt Nancy called the "knack."
+
+But she would not relinquish her seat.
+
+"Take hold with one hand while I stay here, and be careful not to hurt
+the poor creature."
+
+Very tenderly Jack made the second attempt, and was so successful as to
+extract at least a dozen drops from the well-filled udder.
+
+This was sufficient, however, to show him what should be done, even
+though he was at first unable to perform the task, and, thanks to Aunt
+Nancy's patience, and the gentleness of the animal, before the milking
+was brought to a close, he had so far mastered the lesson as to win from
+his teacher a limited amount of praise.
+
+"I don't know as I should expect you to learn at once," she said; "but
+you are getting along so well that by to-morrow night I wouldn't be
+surprised if you could do it alone. Now I'll go and strain the milk, and
+you may split me a little kindling wood if you will. Somehow I have
+never been able to use an axe without danger of cutting my feet, and
+it's almost like tempting Providence to take one in my hands."
+
+Jack did as he was bidden, and although the axe was decidedly rusty and
+very blunt, to say nothing of its being shaky in the helve, before she
+finished taking care of the milk he had such a pile of kindlings as
+would have cost her a week's labor to prepare.
+
+"Well!" the little woman said as she came from the cool cellar and
+surveyed the fruits of his industry, "if you can't do anything else on
+a farm but that, it'll be a wonderful relief to me. An axe is such a
+dangerous instrument that I always tremble when I touch one."
+
+Jack looked at the ancient tool (which could hardly have inflicted any
+injury unless one chanced to drop it on his toes) with a smile, but said
+nothing, and after Aunt Nancy had shown him how to fasten the woodshed
+door with a huge latch that any burglar over four feet tall could have
+raised, she led the way into the house.
+
+The milking pail was to be washed, a solitary moth which had found its
+way into the kitchen was to be killed lest he should do some damage to
+the rag carpet, and Aunt Nancy lighted a candle with a solemn air.
+
+"This is the last work of the day," she said, "and perhaps I attach too
+much importance to it, but I never allow myself to go to bed without
+making sure there's no one hidden in the house. We'll examine the upper
+part first, and after that has been done I will show you a chamber which
+you can have until the summer boarders come. Then we must make different
+arrangements, for the house is so small that I'm terribly put to it for
+room."
+
+Jack followed the little woman up the back stairs, and each of the four
+apartments was subjected to the most rigid scrutiny, the boy holding the
+candle while Aunt Nancy not only peered under the beds and behind the
+bureaus, but even opened the tiniest closets in search of a supposed
+intruder.
+
+"We are safe for another day," she said with a long-drawn sigh of
+relief, "and after looking through the fore-room once more I'll lock the
+doors."
+
+There was such an air of responsibility about the little woman that
+Jack, not fully understanding what she expected to find, immediately
+conceived the idea that peaceful though this portion of the country
+appeared, it must be a very dangerous neighborhood, for his hostess
+could not have taken more precautions had it been known positively that
+a band of Indians were lurking in the vicinity.
+
+Nothing more alarming than the moth was found, however, and after the
+window fastenings had been carefully examined, Aunt Nancy led the way
+back to the kitchen, where she once more surprised her guest by taking
+down the well-worn Bible.
+
+In a thin, quavering voice she read therefrom a certain number of
+verses in which she seemed to find the greatest satisfaction, and then
+replaced the book reverentially on the stand appropriated to its
+keeping.
+
+Then, to Jack's further surprise, she knelt by the side of the chair and
+began a simple but heartfelt prayer, while the boy nestled around
+uneasily, not certain whether it was proper for him to stand up, or
+follow her example, therefore he remained where he was.
+
+When the evening devotions had been brought to a close, he felt
+decidedly uncomfortable in mind, but did not think it advisable to
+expose his ignorance by asking the little woman what he should have
+done.
+
+"Now we'll go to bed," Aunt Nancy said as she arose to her feet with
+such a look of faith on her wrinkled face as reminded the boy of
+pictures he had seen.
+
+Without a word he followed her upstairs to a small room directly over
+the kitchen, which, however contracted it might seem to others, was
+twice as large as he needed when compared with his quarters on board the
+"Atlanta."
+
+Then, as if her aim was to astonish and bewilder him on this first
+evening, Aunt Nancy kissed him on both cheeks as she said "Good night,"
+and left him to his own reflections.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+PURSUED.
+
+
+It was a long while before slumber visited Jack's eyelids on this first
+night spent at the farm.
+
+To have found such a pleasant resting place after his experience at
+Farmer Pratt's, and when the best he had expected was to be allowed to
+remain until morning, was almost bewildering; at the same time the
+friendly manner in which the kindly faced old lady treated him made a
+deep impression on his heart.
+
+During fully an hour he speculated as to how it would be possible for
+him to reach New York with Louis, and, not being able to arrive at any
+satisfactory conclusion, he decided that that matter at least could
+safely be left in Aunt Nancy's care.
+
+Then, all anxiety as to the immediate future having been dissipated, he
+thought of various ways by which he could lighten the little woman's
+labors.
+
+He laid plans for making himself so useful about the farm that she would
+be repaid for her care of Louis, and these ideas were in his mind when
+he crossed the border of dreamland, where, until nearly daybreak, he
+tried to milk diminutive cows, or struggled to carry enormous tin pails.
+
+Despite his disagreeable dreams, the sleep was refreshing, and when the
+first glow of dawn appeared in the eastern sky he was aroused by the
+sound of Aunt Nancy's voice from the foot of the stairs.
+
+Jack's first waking thought was a continuation of the last on the night
+previous, and, dressing hurriedly, he ran down to the kitchen to begin
+the labor which he intended should make him a desirable member of the
+family.
+
+To his great disappointment the fire had been built, Louis dressed, and
+the morning's work well advanced when he entered the room.
+
+"Why didn't you call me before?" he asked reproachfully. "I meant to
+have done all this while you were asleep; but I laid awake so long last
+night that it didn't seem possible for my eyes to open."
+
+"I am accustomed to doing these things for myself," Aunt Nancy replied
+with a kindly smile, "and don't mind it one bit, especially when the
+kindlings have been prepared. I got up a little earlier than usual
+because I was afraid there might be some trouble about dressing the
+baby; but he's just as good a child as can be, and seems right well
+contented here."
+
+"It would be funny if he wasn't," Jack replied as he took Louis in his
+arms for the morning greeting.
+
+There was a shade of sorrow in his heart because the child evinced no
+desire to remain with him, but scrambled out of his arms at the first
+opportunity to toddle toward Aunt Nancy, who ceased her work of brushing
+imaginary dirt from the floor in order to kiss the little fellow as
+tenderly as a mother could have done.
+
+"It seems as if he'd got all through with me," Jack said sorrowfully. "I
+believe he likes you the best now."
+
+"Don't be jealous, my boy. It's only natural the child should cling to a
+woman when he can; but that doesn't signify he has lost any affection
+for you. It is time old crumple-horn was milked, and we'll take Louis
+with us so he won't get into mischief. I'm going to give you another
+lesson this morning."
+
+Jack made a vain effort to repress the sigh which would persist in
+coming to his lips as the baby crowed with delight when the little woman
+lifted him in her arms, and taking the milking pail, he led the way out
+through the dewy grass to the barnyard, where the cow stood looking over
+the rails as if wondering why Aunt Nancy was so late.
+
+Jack insisted that he could milk without any further instructions, and,
+after gathering an armful of the sweet-scented clover, he set boldly to
+work while Aunt Nancy and Louis watched him from the other side of the
+fence.
+
+This time his efforts were crowned with success, and although he did not
+finish the task as quickly as the little woman could have done it, by
+the aid of a few hints from her he had drawn the last drop of milk into
+the pail before the cow began to show signs of impatience.
+
+Then Aunt Nancy and Louis returned to the house while Jack drove the
+meek-eyed animal to the pasture, and when this was done he searched the
+shed for a rake.
+
+He succeeded in finding one with not more than half the teeth missing,
+and began to scrape up the sticks and dried leaves from the lane, a work
+which was well calculated to yet further win the confidence of the neat
+little mistress of the farm.
+
+When the morning meal was served, Jack had so far become accustomed to
+Aunt Nancy's ways that he bowed his head without being prompted, while
+she asked a blessing.
+
+After breakfast was concluded the hunchback proceeded to put into
+execution the plan formed on the night previous.
+
+"If you'll tell me what to do I'll go to work as soon as the lane is
+cleaned, an' that won't take a long while. I s'pose there's plenty to be
+done."
+
+"Yes," Aunt Nancy replied with a sigh, "there's a great deal of work
+which a woman can't do; but I don't know as a boy like you would be able
+to get along any better than I."
+
+"There won't be any harm in tryin'," Jack said manfully. "Tell me what
+it is you want."
+
+"Well, the pasture fence is broken in several places, and I was thinking
+of getting Daniel Chick to come an' fix it; but perhaps you might patch
+the breaks up so's a cow couldn't get out."
+
+"Of course I can. It ain't much of a job if you've got nails an' a
+hammer. I'll tackle it as soon as the lane is finished."
+
+Aunt Nancy explained that the fence to which she referred bordered the
+road a short distance above the house, and Jack was so impatient to
+begin the labor that, contrary to his usual custom, he took a hurried
+leave of Louis.
+
+An hour was sufficient in which to finish the self-imposed task on the
+lane, and then, with a very shaky hammer and a handful of rusty nails,
+he set out to repair the fence, leaving Louis playing in the kitchen
+with the gorgeous crockery rooster, while Aunt Nancy was busily engaged
+setting the house to rights generally.
+
+The scene of Jack's first attempt at fence building was fully an eighth
+of a mile away, and in a clump of alder-bushes which shut off all view
+of the house.
+
+It was by no means a simple task which he found before him.
+
+The posts had so far decayed that an expert workman would have
+considered it necessary to replace them with new timbers; but since this
+was beyond his skill, he set about mending it after his own fashion.
+
+It must not be supposed that Jack loved to work better than does any
+other boy; but he believed it was necessary for him to remain with Aunt
+Nancy until such time as he could find an opportunity of continuing the
+journey in some more rapid manner than by walking, and the desire to
+make himself useful about the farm was so great that labor ceased to be
+a hardship.
+
+He had been engaged in this rather difficult task fully an hour, paying
+little or no attention to anything save the work in hand, when the
+rattle of wheels on the hard road attracted his notice.
+
+Up to this time no person had passed in either direction, and it was
+from curiosity rather than any idea the approaching travellers might be
+connected with his fortunes, that he peered out from among the
+alder-bushes.
+
+Immediately he drew back in alarm.
+
+He had seen, coming directly toward him in a lumbering old wagon and
+hardly more than a hundred yards away, Farmer Pratt and his son Tom.
+
+"They're huntin' for me!" he said to himself as he crept farther among
+the bushes to conceal himself from view, and a secure hiding place had
+hardly been gained when the travellers came to a full stop at the little
+brook which ran on the opposite side of the road, in order to give their
+horse some water.
+
+As a matter of fact Farmer Pratt _was_ in search of the two who had left
+his house so unceremoniously; but now he had no intention of taking them
+to the poorhouse.
+
+Quite by accident a copy of a newspaper containing an account of the
+explosion on board the "Atlanta," and the information that Mrs.
+Littlefield would remain in Portland in the hope of gaining some
+information regarding her child, had come into his hands, and it did not
+require much study on his part to understand that in the greed to
+possess himself of the boat by ridding himself of the children, he had
+lost the opportunity of earning a valuable reward.
+
+There was a stormy time in the Pratt household when this fact became
+known, and even Master Tom came in for more than his full share of the
+scolding because the children had been allowed to go away.
+
+"It would have been as good as a hundred dollars in my pocket if I could
+have lugged them youngsters into town," the farmer repeated over and
+over again as he blamed first his wife and then his son for what was
+really his own fault. "I thought a boat worth twenty dollars would be a
+mighty big haul for one mornin', but here was a show of gettin' five
+times as much jest by holdin' them two over night, an' you had to let
+'em slip through your fingers."
+
+Farmer Pratt dwelt upon this unpleasant fact until he finally convinced
+himself that he would have acted the part of a good Samaritan had the
+opportunity not been denied him, and very early on this same morning he
+started out for the purpose of earning the reward by finding the
+castaways.
+
+Jack, crouching among the bushes where he could distinguish the
+movements of those whom he considered his enemies, heard the farmer say,
+while the half-fed horse was quenching his thirst,--
+
+"I reckon we've got a day's work before us, all on account of you an'
+your mother, for that hunchback couldn't have walked as far with the
+baby. Most likely he found some one who gave him a lift on the road. The
+chances are he's in Biddeford by this time, other folks have heard the
+whole story."
+
+Tom made no reply, probably because he feared to say anything which
+might again call forth a flood of reproach, and his father added,--
+
+"I reckon our best way will be to push right on to town instead of
+huntin' along the road as we've been doin'. Time is gettin' mighty short
+if we want to catch him before people know what has happened."
+
+The farmer was so impatient to arrive at the city that the horse was
+urged on before his thirst was fully quenched, and as the noise of the
+wheels told that the briefly interrupted journey had been resumed, Jack
+crept cautiously out from among the bushes to where he could watch the
+movements of the travellers until they should have passed Aunt Nancy's
+farm.
+
+As may be supposed, he was thoroughly alarmed.
+
+That which he heard convinced him beyond a doubt the farmer was
+searching for him, and there was no question in his mind but that it was
+for the sole and only purpose of carrying him and Louis to the poor
+farm.
+
+"I s'pose Aunt Nancy would up an' tell the whole story if they should
+ask her," he muttered, "an' then I'd have to come out an' go along with
+'em, 'cause I wouldn't let that man carry Louis off alone."
+
+The color came back to his cheeks, however, and the throbbing of his
+heart was lessened as he saw the wagon wheel past the lane without
+either of its occupants making any move toward calling at the house.
+
+Most likely neither Aunt Nancy nor Louis were in the yard, and Farmer
+Pratt was so eager to reach the town where he believed the children to
+be, that, as he had intimated, there was no further stop to be made
+along the road.
+
+But Jack's mind was far from being relieved even after the clumsy
+vehicle had passed out of sight, for he knew the farmer would return,
+failing to gain any information of those he was so anxious to find, and
+he might think it worth his while to call at Aunt Nancy's.
+
+Jack had now lost all interest in his work, and seated himself near the
+fence trying to decide whether he would be warranted in leaving the
+temporary home he had found, to take refuge in flight.
+
+This he might have done on the impulse of the moment but for the
+restraining thought that it would be in the highest degree dangerous to
+travel in either direction on the road, and to make his way through the
+fields and woods was a matter of impossibility, since he had no idea of
+the proper course to be pursued.
+
+"I don't s'pose Aunt Nancy'd lie even to save us from goin' to the poor
+farm," he said aloud to himself; "but if she would, I'd hide out in the
+bushes with Louis till I was sure that man had got through huntin' after
+us, 'cause he can't keep this thing up all summer."
+
+This was by far the best plan Jack could devise for the baby's safety,
+and yet it seemed hardly possible it would be carried into execution
+because of the probable unwillingness of Aunt Nancy to so much as
+equivocate.
+
+After thinking the matter over fully twenty minutes without arriving at
+any other conclusion which promised the slightest hope of escape from
+his pursuers, he decided to boldly ask the little woman if she would
+promise, in case Mr. Pratt should call upon her, to say that she had
+seen neither of her guests.
+
+"She can't any more'n get mad at it, an' if she won't agree then I'll
+take the risk of startin' off once more, but it's goin' to be pretty
+tough on both of us."
+
+There was yet considerable work to be done in the way of fence building;
+but now Jack had no idea of continuing the labor.
+
+He was so agitated that the shaky hammer lay unheeded on the ground
+where it had fallen when he first saw the travellers, and the nails were
+left to gather a yet thicker coat of rust as he made his way up through
+the line of bushes to approach the house from the rear, not daring to go
+boldly around by the road.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+AN ENCOUNTER.
+
+
+Believing his only enemies were those whom he had seen driving up the
+road, Jack paid no attention to anything in front of him, save when it
+was absolutely necessary in order to guide his footsteps, but kept his
+eyes fixed upon the dusty highway.
+
+Owing to the straggling line of bushes, he was forced to make a wide
+detour to reach the barn unseen by any travellers, and he had not
+traversed more than half the required distance when a loud cry from a
+clump of alders which bordered the duck pond caused him to come to a
+full stop.
+
+"Hello, Hunchie! What are you doin' here?"
+
+Jack looked up quickly in alarm, fancying the voice sounded like Tom
+Pratt's, and for an instant believed his pursuers had apparently
+continued their journey only for the purpose of taking him by surprise
+in the rear.
+
+There was no person in sight, however, and during a few seconds he stood
+motionless, trying to decide whether it would be safest to run directly
+toward the farmhouse, or attempt to make his escape through the fields.
+
+Then the question was repeated, and before Jack could have fled, had he
+been so disposed, three boys came out from among the alders, approaching
+very near as if to prevent flight on the part of the hunchback.
+
+"Who are you?" one of the strangers asked, "an' where did you come
+from?"
+
+"I'm Jack Dudley."
+
+"Where do you live?"
+
+"I'm stayin' over to Aunt Nancy Curtis's awhile," Jack replied
+hesitatingly, doubtful if it would be well to give these not
+over-friendly looking boys all the information they desired.
+
+"What are you doin' there?" another of the party asked.
+
+"Helpin' 'round at whatever she wants done till the summer boarders go
+away."
+
+"Oh! So you're the hired man, are you?" the first boy said in a sneering
+tone.
+
+"I ain't so very much of a man; but I reckon I can do her work, an' I
+mustn't fool 'round here, for I'm pretty busy this mornin'."
+
+"You'll stay till we find out what right you've got to run across this
+field," the boy who had first spoken said decidedly. "We've always done
+Aunt Nancy's chores, an' you're makin'a big mistake by takin' our job
+away."
+
+Jack looked once more toward the road to make certain Farmer Pratt and
+his son were not returning.
+
+Then he glanced in the direction of the house, hoping Aunt Nancy might
+be in sight, for he understood from the tone and attitude of the
+strangers that they were bent on mischief.
+
+Not a person could be seen, and he had no other alternative save to
+remain where he was until such time as the boys should be willing to let
+him pass.
+
+Any attempt at flight could have been easily checked, since, owing to
+his deformity, he was not able to run as fast as others of his age.
+
+Probably he felt just a trifle frightened; but he stood his ground
+boldly, determined not to let the strangers see a show of weakness, as
+he said,--
+
+"I didn't come here to take any feller's job. Aunt Nancy gave me a
+chance to stay this summer, an' I jumped at it, 'cause there's no boy
+needs a home more'n I do jest now."
+
+"Well, see here, Hunchie," the elder of the party replied in a
+threatening tone, "we don't know how much you need a home, nor we don't
+care; but there's one thing certain, you ain't goin' to stay 'round here
+this summer." "Us fellers can do all Aunt Nancy's chores an' a good deal
+more. The job belongs to us. If you say you'll leave before night, it'll
+be all right, an' if not, we'll thump the life out of you."
+
+[Illustration: "Does that mean you ain't goin' to leave?" And the boy
+advanced threateningly with clinched fists, until he stood within a few
+inches of the deformed lad.--Page 55.]
+
+"Perhaps that can't be done," Jack said calmly, with an assumption of
+courage which was far from natural.
+
+"Last summer there was a feller come snoopin' 'round to help on the
+summer-boarder business, but he soon found it wasn't safe to steal jobs
+from them as lives here the whole year. We jest about killed him."
+
+"Why didn't you stuff his skin an' set it up on the road here, so's
+other fellers would know enough not to stop?" Jack asked in a sarcastic
+tone as he stepped back a few paces toward a thicker clump of bushes,
+where it would be impossible for the strangers to make an attack from
+the rear. "You can't be any tougher than you look, an' I guess I'll be
+able to keep on livin' till summer's over, even if I do stay."
+
+"Does that mean you ain't goin' to leave?" And the boy advanced
+threateningly with clinched fists until he stood within a few inches of
+the deformed lad, who now understood that a fight was inevitable.
+
+"It's pretty nigh the size of it," Jack replied; and despite all
+efforts, his voice trembled slightly, for he knew full well it would be
+impossible to hold his own against three bullies. "But before beginnin'
+the row I want you to understand one thing: if I don't work for
+somebody, I've got to live out of doors, for I haven't a cent. I ain't
+sayin' but the three of you can lick me, of course, but you'll have to
+do it every day in the week before I'll leave this farm."
+
+Perhaps the bully was a trifle ashamed for threatening one so much
+smaller than himself, and deformed, for, instead of immediately striking
+a blow as at first had seemed to be his purpose, he drew back a few
+paces to hold a whispered consultation with his companions, after which
+he said,--
+
+"Look here, Hunchie, we're willin' to give you a show, but won't allow
+no fellers 'round takin' away money we could earn as well as not. Aunt
+Nancy's always hired us to do her chores when the city folks was here,
+till she got that feller last year, an' then the old fool said she'd
+never pay us another cent jest 'cause we didn't jump spry enough to
+please her. Now we're goin' to show that it's got to be us or nobody.
+We're willin' to wait till to-morrow night if you say you'll go then.
+There's plenty of jobs up Old Orchard way, so there ain't any need of
+your feedin' on wind."
+
+"Why don't you go there?"
+
+"'Cause we don't want to. This is where we live, an' anything that's to
+be done 'round here belongs to us. Now cross your throat that you'll
+leave before to-morrow night, an' we won't say another word."
+
+"I'll go an' see what Aunt Nancy thinks about it," Jack replied, not
+with any intention of obeying these peremptory demands, but in order to
+escape from what was a very awkward predicament.
+
+"You won't do anything of the kind! Promise before leavin' this place or
+we'll thump you!"
+
+"Then thump away, for I won't go," Jack replied determinedly as he
+backed still farther into the bushes and prepared to defend himself as
+best he might against such an overwhelming force, although knowing there
+was no question but that he would receive a severe whipping.
+
+"Give it to him, Bill!" the boys in the rear cried. "You can polish him
+off with one hand, so there's no need of our chippin' in."
+
+Bill did not wait for further encouragement.
+
+Jack's defence was necessarily very slight, and before he was able to
+strike a blow in his own behalf, Bill had him on the ground, pounding
+him unmercifully, while his companions viewed the scene with evident
+satisfaction.
+
+Jack made no outcry: first, because he feared that by bringing Aunt
+Nancy on the scene the fact of Louis's being at the farm would be made
+known; and, secondly, he fancied Farmer Pratt might be near enough to
+hear his appeals for help.
+
+Therefore he submitted to the cruel and uncalled-for punishment without
+a word, although every blow caused severe pain, and when Bill had
+pummelled him for fully five minutes the other boys interrupted by
+saying,--
+
+"Come, let up on him! That's enough for the first, an' if he ain't out
+of town by to-morrow we'll give him another dose. Let's cool him off in
+the pond."
+
+Jack struggled in vain against this last indignity. It was a simple
+matter for the three boys to lift and throw him half a dozen feet from
+the bank into the muddy water.
+
+There was no danger the little fellow would be drowned, for the duck
+pond was not more than two feet deep, and as his assailants ran
+hurriedly away he scrambled out, presenting a sorry sight as he stood on
+the firm ground once more with mud and water dripping from his face and
+every angle of his garments.
+
+Jack was as sore in mind as he was in body; but even while making his
+way toward the house he did not neglect any precautions which might
+prevent his being seen by Farmer Pratt.
+
+He skirted around through the straggling line of alders until he reached
+the rear of the barn, and then, coming across crumple-horn's yard, he
+was confronted by Aunt Nancy, who had just emerged from the shed.
+
+"For mercy's sake!" the little woman screamed, raising her hands in
+dismay as she surveyed the woe-begone Jack, who looked more like a
+misshapen pillar of mud than a boy. "Where _have_ you been, and what
+_have_ you done to yourself? It _is_ strange that boys _will_ be forever
+mussing in the dirt. I thought I'd had some bad ones here, but you beat
+anything I ever saw! Why, you must have been rolling in the pond to get
+yourself in such a condition."
+
+"Yes, ma'am, I have," Jack replied meekly as he again tried to brush the
+mud from his face, but only succeeded in grinding it in more deeply.
+
+"What's the matter with your nose? It's bleeding!" Aunt Nancy screamed
+in her excitement; while Louis, who was sitting on the grass near the
+broad doorstep, crowed and laughed as if fancying she was talking to
+him.
+
+"Three fellers out there tried to make me promise I'd go away before
+to-morrow night, an' when I wouldn't, they gave me an awful poundin'.
+Then the fun was wound up by throwin' me in the pond."
+
+"Three boys!" and Aunt Nancy's tone was an angry one. "I'll venture to
+say William Dean was among the party; and if he thinks he's going to
+drive off every decent child in the neighborhood, he is mistaken. I'd do
+my chores alone, and wait on the city folks too, before he should come
+here again!"
+
+Then Aunt Nancy peered in every direction as if fancying the evil-doers
+might yet be in the vicinity where she could punish them immediately,
+while Jack stood silent, if not quite motionless, wiping the mixture of
+blood and mud from his face in a most disconsolate manner.
+
+Aunt Nancy's anger vanished, however, as she turned again toward the
+cripple.
+
+All her sympathies were aroused, but not to such an extent as to smother
+her cleanly instincts.
+
+"Did they hurt you very much?" she asked solicitously.
+
+"They wasn't any too careful about hittin'," Jack replied with a feeble
+attempt at a smile, to show that his injuries were not really serious.
+"If there hadn't been more than one, I'd have hurt him some before he
+got me into the pond."
+
+"I wish you had flogged every single member of that party in the most
+severe--No, I don't either, for it wouldn't be right, Jack. We are told
+when anybody smites us on one cheek, we must turn the other also; but
+it's terrible hard work to do right sometimes. I'm glad you didn't
+strike them, though I _do_ wish they could be punished."
+
+Again Aunt Nancy showed signs of giving way to anger, and one could see
+that a severe conflict was going on in her mind as she tried to obey the
+injunctions of the Book she read so often.
+
+As if to turn her attention from vengeful thoughts, she immediately made
+preparations for dressing Jack's wounds.
+
+"If you can stand a little more water," she said, "we'll try to get you
+into something like a decent condition."
+
+"I reckon I can stand almost anything after the dose I've had," Jack
+replied grimly; and Aunt Nancy led him under the pump, stationing him
+directly beneath the spout as she said,--
+
+"Now I'll wash the mud off; but if the water feels too cold let me know,
+and we'll heat it."
+
+"I'll take it as long as you can keep the handle goin'," Jack replied as
+he bent his head and involuntarily drew a long breath preparatory to
+receiving the expected shock.
+
+Aunt Nancy could pump a long while when it was for the purpose of
+removing dirt; and during the next five minutes she deluged Jack with
+the cold spring water until he stood in the centre of a miniature pond,
+no longer covered with mud, but dripping tiny streams from every portion
+of his face and garments.
+
+Sitting on the grass near by, Louis clapped his hands and laughed with
+glee at what he probably thought a comical spectacle designed for his
+own especial amusement.
+
+It was not until Jack had been, as he expressed it, "so well rinsed it
+was time to wring him out," that either he or Aunt Nancy remembered the
+very important fact that he had no clothes to replace those which were
+so thoroughly soaked.
+
+"Now what _are_ we going to do?" Aunt Nancy asked in dismay, as she
+surveyed the dripping boy, who left little rivers of water behind him
+whenever he moved. "You haven't got a second shirt to your back, and I
+can't let you remain in these wet clothes."
+
+"I might go out to the barn an' lay 'round there till they dried," Jack
+suggested.
+
+"Mercy on us, child, you'd get your death of cold! Wait right here while
+I go into the attic and see if there isn't something you can wear for a
+few hours. Don't step across the threshold."
+
+This last admonition was unnecessary.
+
+Short a time as Jack had known Aunt Nancy, he was reasonably well
+acquainted with her cleanly habits, and to have stepped on that floor,
+which was as white as boards can be, while in his present condition,
+would have been to incur the little woman's most serious displeasure.
+
+He was also forced to remain at a respectful distance from Louis, who
+laughed and crowed as if begging to be taken, and while moving farther
+away he whispered,--
+
+"It wouldn't do at all to touch you when I'm so wet, old fellow, but
+I'll lug you around as much as you want as soon as I'm dried off. After
+Aunt Nancy comes back, I'm goin' to talk with her about Farmer Pratt,
+an' see if she'll agree to say we ain't here in case he calls. You an'
+I'll be in a pretty hard box if she don't promise to tell a lie for
+us."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+A MENTAL STRUGGLE.
+
+
+When Aunt Nancy returned from the attic, she had a miscellaneous
+collection of cast-off garments sufficient to have clothed a dozen boys
+like Jack, providing they had been willing to wear female apparel.
+
+"I thought there might be some of father's things upstairs," she said,
+examining once more each piece; "but I've given them away. You won't
+care if you have to put on a dress for a little while, will you? Here
+are some old ones of mine, and it will be a great deal better to use
+them than to stand around in wet clothes."
+
+Jack was not at all anxious to masquerade as a girl, and would have
+preferred to "dry off," as he expressed it, in the barn; but, fearing
+lest he should offend the old lady at a time when he was about to ask a
+very great favor, he made no protest.
+
+Aunt Nancy selected from the assortment two skirts, a pair of well-worn
+cloth shoes, and a shawl, saying as she handed them to the boy,--
+
+"Now you can go out in the barn and put these on. Then we'll hang your
+clothes on the line, where they'll dry in a little while. In the mean
+time I'll find some sticking plaster for your face, and a piece of brown
+paper to put over your eye to prevent it from growing black."
+
+Jack walked away as if he were about to perform a very disagreeable
+task, and by the time Aunt Nancy had carried the superfluous wardrobe
+upstairs and procured such things as she thought would be necessary in
+the treatment of the boy's wounds, he emerged from the barn looking
+decidedly shamefaced.
+
+He knew he presented a most comical appearance, and expected to be
+greeted with an outburst of laughter; but Aunt Nancy saw nothing to
+provoke mirth in what had been done to prevent a cold, and, in the most
+matter-of-fact manner, began to treat the bruises on his face.
+
+A piece of court plaster fully half as large as Jack's hand was placed
+over the scratch on his right cheek, another upon a small cut just in
+front of his left ear, while a quantity of brown paper thoroughly
+saturated with vinegar covered his eye and a goodly portion of his
+forehead.
+
+This last was tied on with a handkerchief knotted in such a manner as to
+allow the two ends to stick straight up like the ears of a deformed
+rabbit.
+
+During this operation Louis laughed in glee. It was to him the jolliest
+kind of sport to see his guardian thus transformed into a girl, and even
+Aunt Nancy herself could not repress a smile when she gazed at the
+woe-begone looking boy who appeared to have just come from some
+desperate conflict.
+
+"I s'pose I look pretty rough, don't I?" Jack asked with a faint attempt
+at a smile. "I feel like as if I'd been broke all to pieces an' then
+patched up ag'in."
+
+"It isn't as bad as it might be," Aunt Nancy replied guardedly; "but out
+here where we don't see any one it doesn't make much difference, and to
+run around this way a few hours is better than being sick for a week."
+
+"I reckon I can stand it if you can," Jack said grimly, "but I don't
+think I want to fix fences in this rig. Them fellers would think I'd put
+on these things so they wouldn't know me."
+
+"No indeed, you mustn't leave the house even when your clothes are dry,
+until I have seen that Dean boy's father."
+
+"You ain't goin' to tell him about their poundin' me, are you?" Jack
+asked quickly.
+
+"Of course I am. You don't suppose for a single moment that I intend to
+run the chances of your being beaten to death by them! If Mr. Dean can't
+keep his boy at home I'll--I'll--I don't know what I will do."
+
+"Seems to me it would be better not to say anything about it," Jack
+replied hesitatingly. "If we go to tellin' tales, them fellers will
+think I'm afraid, an' be sure to lay for me whenever I go out."
+
+"I'm not going to tell any tales; but I intend to see if it isn't
+possible for me to have a decent, well-behaved boy around this place
+without his being obliged to fight a lot of disreputable characters such
+as some we've got in the neighborhood."
+
+This is not the time for Jack to make any vehement protests, lest Aunt
+Nancy should be provoked because of his persistency, and he changed the
+subject of conversation by broaching the matter which occupied all his
+thoughts.
+
+"That Mr. Pratt what tried to send Louis an' me to the poor farm drove
+past here with Tom jest before them fellers tackled me, an' I heard him
+say he was lookin' for us."
+
+"Mercy on me!" Aunt Nancy exclaimed as she pushed the spectacles back
+from her nose to her forehead and peered down the lane much as if
+expecting to see the farmer and his son in the immediate vicinity. "Why
+_is_ he so possessed to send you to the poorhouse?"
+
+"That's what I don't know," Jack replied with a sigh; "but he's after
+us, an' if he once gets his eye on me, the thing is settled."
+
+"He has no more right to bother you than I have, and not half as much.
+According to your story, he didn't even take the trouble to give you a
+decent meal, and I'll soon let him know he can't carry you away from
+here."
+
+"But how'll you prevent it if he starts right in an' begins to lug us
+off? He's stronger'n you an' me put together, an' if he's come all this
+distance there won't be much stoppin' for anything you'll say to him,
+I'm afraid. Now don't you think it would be better to tell him I wasn't
+here?"
+
+"Mercy on us, Jack! How could I do that when you _are_ here?"
+
+"Well, you wouldn't like to have him lug us off if you knew we'd got to
+go to the poorhouse, would you? 'Cause neither Louis nor me ever did
+anything to you, or to him either."
+
+"But you sha'n't go there, my dear child. So long as I am willing to
+keep you here, I don't see what business it is of his, or anybody
+else's."
+
+"It seems as though he was makin' it his business," Jack replied
+disconsolately; for he was now beginning to despair of persuading Aunt
+Nancy to tell a lie. "If you'd say we wasn't here, that would settle it,
+and he wouldn't stay."
+
+"But I can't, Jack; I can't tell an absolute falsehood."
+
+Jack gave vent to a long-drawn sigh as he looked toward the baby for a
+moment, and then said,--
+
+"Well, I didn't s'pose you would do it anyhow, so Louis an' me'll have
+to start off, 'cause I won't go to that poor farm if I have to walk
+every step of the way to New York an' carry the baby besides."
+
+"I don't see why you should talk like that, my child. In the first
+place, there is no reason for believing that hard-hearted man will come
+here, and--"
+
+"Oh, yes, there is!" and Jack repeated the conversation he had overheard
+while hiding in the alder-bushes. "When he finds out we haven't been to
+Biddeford, he'll ask at every house on the way back."
+
+"Do you really think he would try to take you if I said to him in a very
+severe tone that I would have him prosecuted for attempting anything of
+the kind?"
+
+"I don't believe you could scare him a bit, an' there isn't much chance
+you'd be able to stop him after he's come so far to find us."
+
+"But I can't have you leave me, Jack," the little woman said in a
+quavering voice. "You have no idea how much I've been countin' on your
+company."
+
+"You won't feel half so bad as I shall to go," Jack replied mournfully.
+
+"But it is out of the question to even think of walking all that
+distance."
+
+"It's got to be done jest the same, an' as soon as my clothes are dried
+we'll start. Things will come mighty tough; but they can't be helped."
+
+Aunt Nancy looked thoroughly distressed, and there was a suspicious
+moisture in her eyes as she asked,--
+
+"How would it do to lock the doors, and refuse to come down when he
+knocked?"
+
+Jack shook his head.
+
+"I don't believe it would work."
+
+"No, it mustn't be thought of, for then we should be acting a lie, which
+is almost, if not quite, as bad as telling one."
+
+"How do you make that out?" Jack asked in surprise.
+
+"We shouldn't lock the doors unless it was to give him the impression
+that there was no one at home, which would be a falsehood."
+
+The expression on Jack's face told that he failed to understand either
+the argument or the spirit which prompted it, and for several moments no
+word was spoken.
+
+Then, as a happy thought occurred to him, the boy said eagerly,--
+
+"I'll tell you how it could be done without any lie at all, an'
+everything would go along as slick as grease."
+
+"How?" Aunt Nancy asked quickly, as a look of relief passed over her
+face.
+
+"I'll watch up the road a piece till I see the team comin'. Then I'll
+run back here, get Louis, an' carry him off somewhere."
+
+"Well?" the little woman asked as he paused.
+
+"Why, can't you see how easy it'll be then? You'll only have to tell him
+you don't know where we are, an' he'll be bound to leave."
+
+"But, Jack dear, I should know where you were."
+
+"How do you make that out?"
+
+"You wouldn't leave the farm, an' while I--"
+
+"That's jest what you don't know. I didn't tell you where we'd go. It
+would be the same thing if we left for New York this minute; you might
+think we was on the road somewhere; but that wouldn't make it so."
+
+Aunt Nancy remained silent, and although he did not believe she was
+convinced, Jack fancied there was a look of hesitation on her face as if
+she might be persuaded into complying with his request, therefore he
+added eagerly,--
+
+"You want us to stay here, an'--"
+
+"Indeed I do!" the little woman replied fervently. "I never knew a boy
+who seemed so much like our own folks as you do, and since last night it
+has been a great relief to think I should have you with me this summer."
+
+"And if Mr. Pratt knows we're anywhere around, he'll snake us away for
+certain."
+
+"I don't understand how that can be done, Jack."
+
+"Neither do I; but he has come to do it, an' you can't stop him. Now
+I'll promise to go where you'd never guess of our bein', an' then there
+wouldn't be the least little bit of a lie in sayin' you didn't know."
+
+"I would do almost anything for the sake of keeping you here, Jack,
+except to commit a sin."
+
+"This way you won't be doin' anything of the kind. I reckon my clothes
+are dry now, an' I'd better put 'em on so's to be ready to watch for Mr.
+Pratt."
+
+Then Jack hurried off as if the matter had been positively settled.
+
+Aunt Nancy gazed after him with an expression of mingled pain and
+perplexity on her wrinkled face, and just then Louis crept to her knee,
+begging in his odd language to be taken on her lap.
+
+"You dear little creature!" she cried, pressing him to her bosom while
+he chattered and laughed. "It would be cruel to send you among the
+paupers, when a lonely old woman like me loves you so much!"
+
+Jack looked back just in time to see this picture, and there was no
+longer any doubt in his mind but that Aunt Nancy would accede to his
+request.
+
+Five minutes later he returned clad in his own garments, which looked
+considerably the worse for the hasty drying, and said as he ran swiftly
+past the little woman,--
+
+"Don't let Louis go into the house, for I'll want to get hold of him in
+a hurry!"
+
+Aunt Nancy began to make some remark; but he was moving so swiftly that
+the words were unheard, and the old lady said to herself with a
+long-drawn sigh as she pressed the baby yet more closely,--
+
+"I'm afraid it is wrong to do as he wishes; but how can I allow cruel
+men to take this dear child from me, when I know he will not be cared
+for properly?"
+
+Then she began to think the matter over more calmly, and each moment it
+became clearer to her mind that by acceding to Jack's request she would
+be evading the truth, if not absolutely telling a lie.
+
+"I can't do it," she said, kissing the baby affectionately. "Much as I
+shall grieve over them, it is better they should go than for me to do
+what I know to be wrong."
+
+Having thus decided, she hurried up the lane to warn Jack; but before
+reaching the road the boy was met coming at full speed.
+
+"Mr. Pratt has just shown up at the top of the hill; he's stoppin' at
+the house over there! I'll get Louis and hide."
+
+"But, Jack dear, I have been thinking this matter over, and I can't even
+act a lie."
+
+"Why didn't you say so before, when I had a chance to get away?" he
+cried reproachfully. "By lettin' me think you'd do it, you've got us
+into a reg'lar trap!"
+
+The boy did not wait to hear her reply, but ran to where Louis was
+seated contentedly on the grass, raised him in his arms and disappeared
+behind the barn, leaving the little woman feeling very much like a
+culprit.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+FARMER PRATT.
+
+
+Aunt Nancy was now in a fine state of perplexity.
+
+Jack's reproachful tone had cut very deeply, and she began to consider
+herself responsible for all which might happen because of not having
+warned him in time.
+
+"I'm a wicked woman," she said, wringing her hands distractedly, "and
+accountable for all that happens now. Why was I so weak as not to give
+the dear boy a decided answer when he came from the barn?"
+
+Then she ran to the bars and called after Jack in a whisper; but if any
+one had asked why she wanted him to come back just at that time, she
+could not have explained.
+
+Returning to the old oak, she was about to sit down again when the
+rattle of wheels told that Farmer Pratt was near at hand.
+
+Hardly aware of what she did, the little woman went hurriedly into the
+house, and there awaited what must necessarily be a very painful
+interview.
+
+A few moments later the man whom Jack looked upon as a merciless enemy
+knocked at the door, and Aunt Nancy said feebly, "Come in."
+
+Farmer Pratt entered without very much ceremony, and as the little woman
+gazed at his face she fancied, probably from what Jack had told her,
+that it was possible to see covetousness and hard-heartedness written on
+every feature.
+
+He did not remove his hat, but stood in the centre of the floor, whip in
+hand, as he said,--
+
+"Mornin' ma'am, mornin'. I'm from Scarborough, an' my name is Nathan
+Pratt. P'rhaps you've heard of me."
+
+Aunt Nancy was about to say she never had, meaning that her neighbors
+never had spoken of him as a person of importance; but she checked
+herself on remembering this would be a falsehood because of what Jack
+had said.
+
+"I have heard the name," she replied faintly.
+
+"I thought so, I thought so. I've lived, man an' boy, in Scarborough for
+nigh on to fifty years, an' when that's been done without givin'
+anybody a chance to say a word agin me, except that I want my own, as
+other folks do, then it would be kinder strange if I wasn't known
+within a dozen miles of home."
+
+"Was that all you came here to say?" Aunt Nancy asked.
+
+"Of course not,--of course not"; and the farmer seated himself without
+waiting for an invitation. "The fact of the matter is, ma'am, I'm
+huntin' for a couple of children what drifted ashore on my place the
+other day. One of 'em was a hunchback, an' I must say he is bad, for
+after eatin' all the food in my house that he an' the young one wanted,
+he run away, leavin' me in the lurch."
+
+"I don't suppose they stole it, did they?" and Aunt Nancy spoke very
+sharply, for it made her angry to hear such things said about Jack.
+
+"No, it wasn't exactly that," and the farmer hesitated, as if to give
+her the impression something equally wrong had been done by the boy;
+"but as a citizen of the town I don't want it said we let a couple of
+youngsters run around loose like calves."
+
+"What do you intend to do with them?" the little woman asked severely.
+
+Farmer Pratt had no idea of telling a secret which he believed would be
+worth at least an hundred dollars to him, and by keeping it he again
+defeated himself.
+
+"They oughter be carried to the poor farm till we can find out who owns
+'em. You see I'm as big a tax-payer as there is in Scarborough, an' if
+any other town takes care of the children, we're likely to be sued for
+the cost of keepin'. Now I don't believe in goin' to law, for it's
+dreadful expensive, so I've come out to save myself an' my neighbors
+what little money I can."
+
+If Farmer Pratt had told the truth, Aunt Nancy would have done all in
+her power to aid him, and Jack could not but have rejoiced, although the
+farmer received a rich reward; but by announcing what was a false
+proposition, he aroused the little woman's wrath.
+
+She no longer remembered that it was wrong even to act a lie, and
+thought only of the possibility that those whom she had learned to love
+were really to be taken to the refuge for paupers, if her visitor should
+be so fortunate as to find them.
+
+"It seems hard to put children in such a place," she said, with an
+effort to appear calm.
+
+"That's only prejudice, ma'am, sheer prejudice. What do we keep up sich
+institoots for? Why, to prevent one man from bein' obleeged to spend
+more'n another when a lot of beggars come around."
+
+"And yet it seems as if almost any one would be willing to feed a
+couple of children who were lost."
+
+"There's where you are makin' a mistake ag'in, ma'am. Youngsters eat
+more'n grown folks, an' I know what I'm talkin' about, 'cause I've
+raised a family. Heaven helps them as helps themselves, an' when we
+find two like the one I'm huntin' for, then I say since heaven won't
+take a hand at it, the town should."
+
+Aunt Nancy remained silent, but those who knew her intimately would have
+said, because of the manner in which she moved her chair to and fro,
+that the little woman was struggling very hard to "rule her spirit."
+
+"I don't reckon you know anything about 'em, ma'am," Farmer Pratt said
+after a long pause, during which Aunt Nancy had rocked violently, with
+her gaze fixed upon an overbold honey bee who was intent on gathering
+the sweets from a honeysuckle blossom which the wind had forced through
+the open window.
+
+"I know this much," she replied with vehemence, "that I hope you won't
+find the children if it is simply to carry them to the poor farm. We are
+told of the reward which--"
+
+"Who said anything about a reward?" the farmer asked in alarm, fearing
+that which he wished should remain a secret was already known.
+
+"The Book tells us what shall be the reward of those who give a cup of
+cold water only to these His little ones--"
+
+"Oh! is that it?" and the visitor appeared greatly relieved. "I count
+myself about as good as my neighbors, but when it comes to keepin' a
+parcel of children, after I've paid my taxes to run a place especially
+for sich as they, then I say it's a clear waste of money, an' that's as
+much of a sin as anything else."
+
+"We won't argue the matter," the little woman replied with dignity, "but
+I hope the time will never come that I, poor as I am, can count the
+pennies in a dollar when it is a question of giving aid or comfort to
+the distressed."
+
+"Since you haven't seen the youngsters, there's no need of my stayin'
+any longer, ma'am, but it does seem funny that nobody has run across
+'em, when I heard for a fact that they'd come up this road."
+
+Aunt Nancy knew full well that by remaining silent now, she was giving
+the visitor to understand she knew nothing about the missing ones; but
+just at the moment she would have told a deliberate lie rather than give
+Jack and Louis up to such a man, however much she might have regretted
+it afterward.
+
+"Of course there's no harm in my askin' the questions," Farmer Pratt
+said as he moved toward the door, feeling decidedly uncomfortable in
+mind because of the little woman's sharp words.
+
+"Certainly not; but at the same time I am sorry you came."
+
+"Why, ma'am?"
+
+"Because I have learned how hard-hearted men can be when it is a
+question of a few dollars. If the children should come to me, they would
+be given a home, such as it is, until their relatives could be found."
+
+"If they should come, I warn you that it is your duty to let me know,
+for they drifted ashore on my property, an' I've got the first claim."
+
+This was rather more than meek little Aunt Nancy could endure; but she
+succeeded in checking the angry words, and rose from her chair to
+intimate that the interview was at an end.
+
+Farmer Pratt went out very quickly, probably fearing he might hear more
+unpalatable truths, and the old lady watched him until he drove away.
+
+"It was wicked, but I'm glad I did it!" she said emphatically. "The idea
+of hunting up such children as Jack and Louis simply to send them among
+paupers!"
+
+Not for many moments did the little woman remain in this frame of mind.
+
+After a time she began to realize that she had done exactly what she
+told Jack would be impossible--acted a lie, and her conscience began to
+trouble her greatly.
+
+She tried to read a chapter in the Book with the hope of finding
+something to comfort her, and, failing in this, her thoughts went out to
+the children who had left so suddenly.
+
+"Mercy on us!" she exclaimed. "Suppose Jack really has gone away,
+believing I would tell that man all I knew about him!"
+
+This idea was sufficient to arouse her to action, and she went behind
+the barn, where she called softly,--
+
+"Jack! Jack! Where are you?"
+
+Not until this very feeble outcry had been repeated half a dozen times
+did she receive any reply, and then the hunchback, with Louis clasped in
+his arms, peered out from among the bushes.
+
+"Has the farmer gone?" he asked in a whisper.
+
+"Indeed he has."
+
+"And you didn't tell him where we was?"
+
+"He never asked the question; but all the same, Jack dear, I did wrong
+in allowing him to suppose I knew nothing about you."
+
+"You're the sweetest aunt any feller ever had," the hunchback said
+heartily as he came swiftly up and kissed one of the old lady's wrinkled
+hands before she was aware of his intentions. "I couldn't believe you
+wanted us taken to the poorhouse, so I didn't go very far off."
+
+"I almost wish I hadn't done it, for--No, I don't either! After talking
+with that wretch it would have broken my heart to see him take you away!
+Give me the baby this minute; it seems as if I hadn't seen him for a
+week."
+
+Jack willingly relinquished his charge to the motherly arms extended to
+receive the laughing child, and said, as Aunt Nancy almost smothered
+Louis with kisses,--
+
+"You sha'n't ever be sorry for what you have done. I'll work awful hard,
+an' take care of the baby whenever you've got somethin' else to do."
+
+"I know you are a good boy, Jack, and I wouldn't undo what's been done
+if I could; but at the same time my conscience will reproach me, for I
+realize that I acted wickedly."
+
+So far as the sin was concerned, Jack did not think it of great
+importance, and wondered not a little that as good a woman as Aunt
+Nancy should attach so much importance to what, in his mind at least,
+was nothing more than a charitable act.
+
+He took care not to give expression to his thoughts, however, and led
+the way back to the old oak-tree, where he said,--
+
+"You sit down here awhile, an' I'll go out to make certain that man has
+gone. It might be he's waitin' 'round somewhere to find whether we're
+really here."
+
+"I don't think there is any danger of that," Aunt Nancy replied as she
+seated herself on the bench and fondled Louis until the little fellow
+was tired of caresses.
+
+Jack could not be comfortable in mind unless positive his enemy had left
+the vicinity, and he walked quite a long distance up the road before
+convincing himself of the fact.
+
+When he returned the desire to make himself necessary to the little
+woman was stronger than ever, and he proposed to finish the work of
+fence mending at once.
+
+"Better wait till after dinner now that it is so near noon," she said.
+"We'll have a quiet talk, and then I will start the fire."
+
+"Is it about Farmer Pratt you want to say something?"
+
+"No, we'll try to put him out of our minds. It is the baby."
+
+"What's the matter with him?"
+
+"He must have another frock and some clothes. These are very dirty, and
+I'm afraid he'd take cold if I should wash them at night, and put them
+on again in the morning."
+
+"Haven't you got an old dress like the one I wore? By pinnin' it up he'd
+get along all right."
+
+"Indeed he wouldn't, Jack. Boys can't be expected to know what a child
+needs; but it puzzles me how to get the material from the store."
+
+"What's the matter with my goin' after it?"
+
+"It is a very long distance--more than four miles away."
+
+"That's all right; I walked a good deal farther the day I came here.
+Jest say what you want, an' I'll go after it now."
+
+"Do you really think you could get back before sunset?"
+
+"I'm certain of it, providin' I don't wait for dinner."
+
+"But you must have something to eat, Jack dear."
+
+"I can take a slice of bread and butter in my hand, an' that'll last me
+more'n four miles."
+
+"I have half a mind to let you go," Aunt Nancy said as if to herself,
+and Jack insisted so strongly that she finally decided he should do the
+shopping.
+
+Not one, but half a dozen slices of bread were spread thickly with
+butter as a dinner for the messenger, and then the little woman wrote on
+a slip of paper the different articles she needed.
+
+"You must see that Mr. Treat gives you exactly what I've asked for," she
+said as she read the list, and explained what the texture or color of
+each article should be. "Watch him closely, and be sure he makes the
+right change."
+
+Then she gave him the most minute directions as to the road, the time
+which should be occupied in the journey, and the manner the goods were
+to be brought home.
+
+A basket was provided for the purchases, and Aunt Nancy said as she gave
+Jack a ten-dollar note,--
+
+"Tie that in your handkerchief so's to be sure not to lose it, Jack
+dear, for it's a great deal of money to a lone woman like me."
+
+He promised to be careful, and kissed the baby good by.
+
+Aunt Nancy leaned over for the same salute, and when it had been given
+she said in a sorrowful tone,--
+
+"It is a deal of comfort to have you with me, Jack; but I do wish I had
+been bold enough to tell that man the truth, and then refused to let you
+go with him."
+
+"It's lucky you didn't, Aunt Nancy, for he'd been bound to have us any
+way."
+
+Then Jack walked swiftly down the daisy-embroidered lane, thinking he
+was a very fortunate boy indeed in having found such a good friend as
+the sweet-faced old lady.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+A SECOND WARNING.
+
+
+True to his promise, Jack returned before the sun was very low in the
+western sky, and Aunt Nancy expressed the greatest surprise at seeing
+him so soon.
+
+"When I send William Dean to the store he needs all day for the journey,
+and on two or three occasions it has been late in the evening before he
+came back."
+
+"It isn't such an awful long walk, but it makes a feller kinder tired,
+an' I s'pose he had to rest a good while before startin' back. I thought
+I'd better come the minute the things were ready, 'cause I was afraid
+you'd do the milkin'."
+
+"Of course I shall. You don't suppose I'd let you work after that
+terribly long walk."
+
+"But I'm goin' to do the chores jest the same," Jack replied; and to
+prove his words he carried in the kindlings for morning.
+
+Aunt Nancy was perfectly satisfied with the purchases he made, and until
+it was time to bring the cow up from pasture she explained her
+intentions in the way of making clothes for Louis.
+
+"This piece of calico isn't as pretty as some I've had from Treat's,"
+she said, unfolding the goods, "but it seems to be a good quality, and
+that's the main thing. Now, the question is whether I shall make his
+frock with a yoke, or plain? What do you think, Jack dear?"
+
+Jack hadn't the faintest idea of what she meant by a "yoke" or a
+"frock," but, wishing to please the little woman by giving an opinion,
+he answered decidedly,--
+
+"I should make it plain."
+
+"That was just my idea. How queer it is that you should know all about
+such things, and have good judgment too!"
+
+Jack came very near smiling because of this praise which he did not
+deserve, but was wise enough not to make any reply, and Aunt Nancy
+consulted him on every detail until the garment had been fully decided
+upon.
+
+Then it was time to attend to old crumple-horn, and when Jack came into
+the kitchen again supper was on the table.
+
+In view of the fact that he had had such a long tramp, the little woman
+insisted on his retiring very early, and the Book was opened as soon as
+the supper-table had been cleared.
+
+On this day Aunt Nancy's evening devotions occupied an unusually long
+time, and she prayed fervently to be forgiven for her sin of the
+forenoon,--a fact which caused Jack to say when she had finished,--
+
+"It don't seem to me as if you could ever do anything wicked, Aunt
+Nancy, an' there ain't any need of fussing about what you said to Farmer
+Pratt, for God knows jest how good you are."
+
+"You mustn't talk like that, Jack dear. There are very many times when I
+give way to anger or impatience, and there can be no question but that I
+as much as told a lie when that man was here."
+
+Jack would have protested that no wrong had been done, but she prevented
+further conversation by kissing him on both cheeks as she said, "Good
+night."
+
+On the following morning, Aunt Nancy's "man of all work" took good care
+she should not be the first one awake.
+
+He arose as the rays of the coming sun were glinting the eastern sky,
+and when the little woman entered the kitchen the fire had been built,
+the floor swept, and the morning's milk in the pail ready for straining.
+
+Her surprise at what he had done was sufficient reward for Jack, and he
+resolved that she should never have an opportunity to do such work while
+he was sleeping.
+
+"I begin to feel quite like a visitor," the little woman said with a
+cheery laugh as she bustled around in her sparrow-like fashion,
+preparing breakfast. "This is the first time in a great many years that
+the fire has been made and the milking done before I got up."
+
+Thanks to Jack's labors, the morning meal was unusually early, and when
+it had been eaten and the dishes washed, the hunchback said as he took
+up his hat,--
+
+"I'll go now an' finish mendin' the fence."
+
+"Wait until I have seen Mr. Dean. I'm afraid those dreadful boys will do
+you some mischief."
+
+"I don't reckon they'll be stirring so early, an' it won't take me
+more'n an hour longer. While I'm gone, think of somethin' else that
+needs to be done, for I'd rather be workin' than layin' still."
+
+"You're a good boy, Jack dear, and I should be very sorry to have you go
+away from me now."
+
+"There's no danger of that yet awhile, unless Mr. Pratt takes it into
+his head to come this way again," Jack replied with a laugh as he left
+the house.
+
+It required some search to find the hammer and nails he had thrown down
+when he was so frightened, and then the task of fence mending progressed
+famously until a rustling among the bushes caused him to raise his eyes
+suddenly.
+
+Bill Dean stood before him, looking particularly savage and threatening.
+
+Jack took a yet firmer grasp of the hammer, resolved to defend himself
+vigorously providing there should be no other enemies in the vicinity.
+
+"So you're still here, eh?" Bill asked sternly.
+
+"Looks like it I reckon."
+
+"When are you goin'?"
+
+"I haven't quite made up my mind; but I'll write an' tell you before I
+pack my trunk."
+
+Bill stepped forward quickly, but Jack persuaded him to go back by
+swinging the hammer unpleasantly near the bully's head as he said,--
+
+"Don't come too near! You served me out yesterday because there was
+three in the gang, an' I hadn't anything to defend myself with; but now
+matters are a little different."
+
+"Are you goin' to leave this place to-day?" Bill asked, as he retreated
+a few paces.
+
+"No, nor to-morrow either."
+
+"Then remember what I say. This is the second warnin' you've had, an'
+it'll be the last. Look out for trouble if you're in this town
+to-night!"
+
+"I shall be here, an' I want you to remember that somebody besides me
+may get into trouble if there's any funny business. Aunt Nancy
+threatened to tell your father about what was done yesterday, but I
+coaxed her not to, an' I won't say a word another time."
+
+"I don't mind what she says, we'll run you out of this place before two
+days go by, so take care of yourself."
+
+"That's jest what I count on doin', an' if you've got any sense you'll
+keep away from me."
+
+Bill shook his fist threateningly as near Jack's nose as he thought
+prudent, and disappeared among the bushes, leaving the hunchback
+decidedly disturbed in mind despite the bold front he had assumed.
+
+"Them fellers can make it hot for me, of course," he said to himself
+when the bully had gone, "an' I expect I shall catch it rough, but
+almost anything is better than leavin' here after Aunt Nancy has fixed
+it so nice with Farmer Pratt."
+
+He worked more rapidly after receiving this second warning, and returned
+to the house by the main road instead of going around past the frog
+pond.
+
+The little woman was under the old oak making Louis's new garments when
+he arrived, and she saw at once by the troubled expression on his face
+that something had gone wrong.
+
+"What's the matter, Jack dear?" she asked kindly.
+
+"Matter? I guess I don't know what you mean."
+
+"Indeed you do, so now tell Aunt Nancy all about it. Have you seen that
+Dean boy again to-day?"
+
+Jack was forced to confess he had, and in a few moments the little woman
+succeeded in learning the whole story.
+
+She insisted that it was necessary for her to see Bill's father at once;
+but the hunchback begged her not to do anything of the kind, and she
+apparently abandoned the idea.
+
+"Why is it you don't want me to go?" she finally asked.
+
+"Because when any fuss is raised about me, I'm afraid it'll come to
+Farmer Pratt's ears somehow, an' he'll be over here again."
+
+"I wish he would, for then I could confess to him that I the same as
+told a lie, and defy any one to take you children from me."
+
+"When that time comes we shall have to go," Jack replied despondently;
+and Aunt Nancy endeavored to cheer him by displaying Louis's frock,
+which was rapidly approaching completion.
+
+During the remainder of the day Jack busied himself around the farm at
+such chores as he or Aunt Nancy could find, and when night came nothing
+had been heard of those who insisted he must leave the town.
+
+The baby sat under the old oak during the evening in all the bravery of
+his new dress, and Aunt Nancy discussed the subject matter of her
+proposed letter to "Brother Abner" until it was time to retire.
+
+Then Jack went into his tiny room with a heart full of thankfulness that
+his lines "had been cast in such pleasant places," and it seemed as if
+his eyes had but just closed in slumber when he was awakened by the
+pressure of a soft hand on his face.
+
+Fear would have caused him to rise to a sitting posture very suddenly
+but for the fact that the same gentle pressure forced him to remain in a
+reclining position, and then he heard a familiar voice whisper,--
+
+"O Jack dear, burglars are trying to get into the house! What _shall_ we
+do?"
+
+He was now thoroughly awake, and as the hand was removed from his mouth
+he asked in a low tone,--
+
+"Are you certain of that?"
+
+"Absolutely. I thought I heard an unusual noise, and looked out
+when--There! _Do_ you hear that?"
+
+"It would be strange if I didn't," Jack replied as the creaking of the
+shed door swinging back on its hinges sounded remarkably loud and harsh
+on the still night air. "I'll get right up; go downstairs and wait for
+me."
+
+"It will be better if I stay in the hall-way," Aunt Nancy said in a
+voice, the tremor of which told that she was thoroughly frightened.
+
+Never before had Jack dressed so quickly, and as he did he tried to
+think what course should be pursued.
+
+There seemed to be no question but that burglars were on the premises,
+and to encounter them single handed and alone would be the height of
+folly.
+
+As may be fancied, he had not made a very elaborate toilet when he
+joined Aunt Nancy at the head of the stairs.
+
+It was sufficient that he had on enough clothing to admit of his going
+out of doors without danger of taking cold.
+
+"Have you got a gun or a pistol?" he asked of the little woman who was
+shivering with fear as if with an ague fit.
+
+"No indeed, I never would dare to sleep in the same house with such
+things."
+
+"What have you that I can use as a weapon?"
+
+"There isn't a single article in this house which is dangerous except
+the carving knife, and that is very dull."
+
+"It will be better than nothing."
+
+"But you surely don't intend to go out there when desperate men may be
+laying in wait to take your life!"
+
+"Something must be done; we can't stay shut up here and allow them to do
+as they please."
+
+"But you'll be killed, Jack dear"; and poor old Aunt Nancy clung to the
+boy in a frenzy of fear. "To think that I've been expecting something of
+the kind all my life, and it has come at last!"
+
+A sound as if the shed door had been closed told Jack he was wasting
+what might be precious time.
+
+"Get the carving knife quick," he whispered, "and when I go out lock the
+door after me."
+
+Aunt Nancy obeyed in silence.
+
+She brought the knife much as though it was the deadliest of weapons,
+and put it in Jack's hands with something very like awe.
+
+"Don't kill the men if you can help it," she whispered. "It would be
+better to frighten them very badly rather than stain your hands with
+blood."
+
+Jack made no reply; but the thought came into his mind that he would
+stand a poor chance of frightening a burglar, with nothing but the well
+worn knife.
+
+He opened the door softly.
+
+Aunt Nancy stood ready to close and lock it instantly he was on the
+outside, and the decisive moment had arrived.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+THE ALARM.
+
+
+It must be confessed that Jack was not at all eager to face the alleged
+burglars.
+
+He knew very well that if there were no more than two he would stand a
+slim chance of driving them away, and even one good sized man might make
+it very uncomfortable for him.
+
+Had he been left to follow his own inclinations, the outer door would
+not have been opened, but he knew Aunt Nancy depended upon him for
+protection, and he must make a reputation for courage or be disgraced in
+her eyes.
+
+The sky was overcast with clouds, and Jack could not distinguish objects
+ten paces away as he stepped on to the broad stone in front of the door.
+
+He heard the key turn in the lock behind him, and this was sufficient to
+tell him he need not expect any assistance from the little woman inside.
+
+Grasping the carving knife firmly, he moved forward slowly in the
+direction of the shed, and saw a shadowy form dart around the corner of
+the building.
+
+Then another, or the same one, returned, approached Jack, and stooped
+over as if in the act of placing something on the ground.
+
+An instant later the shadow had disappeared, and Jack saw before him a
+thin line of sparks, apparently coming from the solid earth, but not
+sufficiently large to cast any light.
+
+Quite naturally Jack's first thought was that the miscreants were trying
+to set the buildings on fire, and he ran forward to extinguish what
+seemed ready to burst into a flame, when there was a muffled report, the
+ground appeared to be a mass of coals, while at the same time a soft,
+sticky substance was thrown in a shower upon him.
+
+Jack leaped back in surprise and alarm, and as he did so struck his foot
+against some obstruction with sufficient power to throw him headlong.
+
+The explosion, the sudden glare of light, and the shower of he knew not
+what, all served to bewilder the boy to such an extent that for the
+moment it seemed as if the same force which caused the report had
+knocked him down.
+
+The first idea which came into his mind was that he had been shot, for
+he remembered having heard that the victim does not feel pain for some
+time after a bullet enters his body, and the sticky substance on his
+face he thought must be blood.
+
+"That Bill Dean meant what he said, an' has commenced drivin' me out of
+town," he muttered to himself, making not the slightest effort to rise,
+because he believed it impossible to do so.
+
+The silence was almost oppressive after the loud report.
+
+Jack could hear nothing to denote that there was any one in the
+vicinity, and was feeling of his limbs to ascertain the amount of injury
+done, when a shrill, tremulous voice from the doorway cried,--
+
+"Jack! Jack dear! Are you hurt much?"
+
+"I'm afraid I'm shot. It seems as if I was bleedin' dreadful!"
+
+"Wait till I can light the lantern, my poor boy"; and the door was
+closed and locked again.
+
+By this time Jack had fully persuaded himself he was seriously wounded,
+and wondered how long it would be before the pain came.
+
+Two minutes later Aunt Nancy, partially dressed and with an odd little
+lantern in her hand, emerged very cautiously from the house.
+
+The fear Jack might be fatally injured was greater than that of the
+supposed burglars. Her desire to aid others conquered her timidity, and
+the only thought was to bring relief as speedily as possible.
+
+"Mercy on us! What a dreadful thing!" Aunt Nancy exclaimed as she
+arrived at the place where Jack was lying at full length on the ground.
+"Tell me where you are hurt, my poor child."
+
+"I don't know; but it seems as if somethin' tough must have happened,
+for I'm bleedin' terribly."
+
+The little woman knelt by his side, and held the lantern up until its
+rays illumined the boy's face.
+
+"I can't see any blood, Jack dear; but you seem to be literally covered
+with something yellow."
+
+The boy passed his hand over his face, scraping off the supposed
+sanguinary fluid, and examined it carefully by aid of the light.
+
+Then he leaped to his feet very quickly, looking both ashamed and angry.
+
+"It's some kind of a trick Bill Dean's gang have been playing!" he
+cried, and at that instant from behind the barn came a shout of
+derision, followed by hearty laughter.
+
+"Oh, I wish I was strong enough to flog those wicked wretches!" Aunt
+Nancy said, her eyes filling with tears of vexation.
+
+Jack made no reply.
+
+He had taken the lantern from her hand, and was searching carefully in
+the immediate vicinity.
+
+It was not long before he and Aunt Nancy decided that the yellow
+substance was the seeds and pulp of a pumpkin, and Jack said, as he
+picked up several pieces of red paper,--
+
+"Now I know what it means. Those fellers have dug the inside out of a
+pumpkin, and put into it a big firecracker. They waited until I came
+near the shed before lighting it, an', of course, when the thing
+exploded it sent the stuff flyin'."
+
+"Thank goodness it was no worse!" the little woman added, and Jack burst
+into a hearty laugh.
+
+Despite the suffering caused by fear, the idea that he had been scared
+almost into dying by an exploded pumpkin was comical in the extreme, and
+his mirth was not checked until Aunt Nancy asked quite sharply,--
+
+"What on earth are you laughing at?"
+
+"To think how frightened we got about nothing."
+
+"I'm sure it was a good deal. Here we've been forced out of our beds at
+this hour of the night, believing burglars were around, and then scared
+nearly to death because it appeared as if you were wounded, all on
+account of those terrible boys who wanted to have some sport!"
+
+"It can't be helped now, an' the sooner you get into the house the less
+will be the chances of your taking cold," Jack replied, checking his
+mirth with difficulty as he saw how angry Aunt Nancy really was.
+
+Although it was a practical joke which had caused a great deal of mental
+anxiety for a short time, he could not look upon it otherwise than as
+funny, except when he realized that this was the first step taken to
+drive him out of the town.
+
+The little woman insisted on examining the interior of the shed to learn
+if the boys had done any further mischief, and they found fragments of
+pumpkin and paper, showing that the "infernal machine" had been
+constructed there.
+
+Nothing appeared to have been disturbed, and the two who had been so
+unceremoniously awakened returned to the house after the pulp was
+scraped with a chip from Jack's face, hair, and clothing.
+
+It was a long time before the boy could induce slumber to visit his
+eyelids again that night, but he finally succeeded with such good effect
+that he did not awaken until the noise Aunt Nancy made while building
+the fire aroused him.
+
+Dressing hurriedly, he went downstairs in time to do a portion of the
+work, and when the milk was brought into the house after old crumple
+horn had been driven to pasture, Aunt Nancy asked,--
+
+"Do you think you could take care of Louis a little while this
+forenoon?"
+
+"Of course I can. Are you going visitin'?"
+
+"Yes; I intend to see if something can't be done to prevent those
+wretched boys from carrying on in this manner."
+
+"But, Aunt Nancy--"
+
+"Now don't say a word, Jack dear. Things were very much like this last
+summer when I hired a boy from Portland, and no one can tell what might
+have happened if he hadn't run away. I know it is wrong to get angry,
+but I can't help it. Seems to me I am growing more wicked every day;
+yesterday I just the same as told a lie, and last night I did not
+control my angry passions."
+
+"But, Aunt Nancy--"
+
+"Don't try to argue with me, or I shall get worse. I am going to see Mr.
+Dean at once, and you must keep house till I come back."
+
+Louis's guardian realized that words would be worse than useless at such
+a time, and he wisely refrained from speaking, while Aunt Nancy, as if
+trying hard to keep her temper within bounds, did the morning work in
+ominous silence.
+
+When the last duty had been performed, she directed Jack to take the
+baby out under the old oak, and then disappeared for half an hour or
+more, at the end of which time she reappeared dressed with scrupulous
+neatness, but in the quaintest of fashions.
+
+"I sha'n't be away more than an hour; and if any of those boys show
+themselves, be sure to go into the house with Louis at once."
+
+Saying this, she walked swiftly down the lane, and Jack muttered to
+himself as she turned the corner into the main road,--
+
+"I'm mighty sorry she's bent on anything of the kind, for I'm certain
+there'll be trouble for me come out of it."
+
+Fortunately nothing occurred to cause alarm during the little woman's
+absence.
+
+Jack amused the baby, split more kindlings and piled them up in the
+shed, being thus occupied when Aunt Nancy returned, looking mildly
+triumphant.
+
+"There!" she said in a tone of satisfaction as she seated herself
+beneath the old oak and fanned her heated face with a tiny
+pocket-handkerchief, "I did control my temper, and I don't think the
+Dean boy will trouble either of us again."
+
+"Did you tell his father?"
+
+"I gave him a full account of all which had been done, both this summer
+and last. Mr. Dean has promised me nothing of the kind shall ever happen
+again, and we are free from that annoyance."
+
+Jack thought, but did not venture to put it into words, that Bill Dean
+would not give up the struggle so easily, and felt convinced there was
+yet more serious trouble in store for him before the summer came to an
+end.
+
+"Do you know, Jack dear, I would give almost anything in the world if I
+hadn't told a lie to Mr. Pratt. We should have stood our ground, and
+defied him to take you and the baby away, rather than commit a sin."
+
+"But I can't see that you were so very wicked, Aunt Nancy. He would have
+carried us off in spite of anything you could say, an' I'm sure you
+didn't tell a lie."
+
+"It is on my conscience just the same, Jack dear, and I shall never feel
+easy in mind," the little woman replied with a long-drawn sigh.
+
+Jack was really distressed because Aunt Nancy should regret so deeply
+what was done in his behalf; but he could think of nothing consoling to
+say, since she insisted on believing a downright falsehood had been
+told.
+
+"I am also to be condemned for having given way to my temper; but those
+boys do try it so severely it is very difficult to remember that he who
+'rules his spirit is better than he who taketh a city.'"
+
+Jack looked up in bewilderment.
+
+He did not understand the application of the quotation, and the remark
+about taking a city mystified him.
+
+Aunt Nancy was so intent on her own sad thoughts that she paid no
+attention to his perplexity, and after a long silence entered the house,
+returning a few moments later in her home costume, which the boy thought
+more becoming than the antiquated finery she had been arrayed in for the
+call on Bill Dean's father.
+
+The little woman did not give Jack the details of her visit to Mr. Dean;
+but he felt more confident than ever that it was an ill-advised move, so
+far as his own peace was concerned, and but a little time was to elapse
+before this was to be proven.
+
+"I believe I will send a line to Brother Abner now," Aunt Nancy suddenly
+said. "It is time he learned what has happened; and since we have no
+pressing work on hand, you can mind the baby. It isn't as easy for me to
+write letters as it used to be. I need a long while in which to compose
+my thoughts."
+
+Then the little woman set about the task, and it could be seen it was a
+hard one by the manner in which she began.
+
+Watching through the open window, Jack saw her bring pens, paper, and
+ink from her chamber to the kitchen, and then nibble at the end of her
+penholder as if to derive inspiration from that source.
+
+Had it been some weighty document of state she could not have been more
+particular, and fully two hours were spent before the labor was
+completed.
+
+"Took me a long while, didn't it?" she asked on coming into the yard
+once more. "I believe I've told Abner the whole story, and we'll soon
+know if the baby's parents are yet alive."
+
+"Shall I carry it to the post-office?"
+
+"Mercy! no. It is in Treat's store, and I couldn't think of letting you
+take that long walk again to-day."
+
+"It won't hurt me a bit."
+
+"You must stay here quietly with me, and to-morrow perhaps you shall
+go. There is plenty of time, and who knows if Abner is home now; he's a
+master hand at gadding about, which accounts for his being so poor. I've
+always told him that 'a rolling stone gathers no moss,' but he laughs it
+off by saying he doesn't want to be moss-grown."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+SICKNESS.
+
+
+Now that the important letter had been written, Aunt Nancy was in no
+hurry to mail it.
+
+She acted very much as if believing the children would be lost to her
+immediately after Abner learned the news, and it was simply a case of
+"deferring the evil day."
+
+During the afternoon Jack further endeared himself to the little woman's
+heart by patching up the door of the shed in such a manner that it could
+not be opened readily, and fastening it with an old padlock he found in
+the barn.
+
+"That is just what I have been wanting for a long time," Aunt Nancy
+exclaimed in surprise when he called her to see the result of his
+labors. "How strange I can't do that as well as you!"
+
+"That's because you're a woman," Jack replied, not a little delighted
+with the praise bestowed upon him.
+
+"It may be; but I'm so very much older, it seems as if I should be able
+to do such things properly, and yet I can't even drive a nail."
+
+"There'll be no need of your doin' it while I'm 'round."
+
+"And I hope you and Louis will stay a long time; but I suppose it isn't
+right to say so, for although there isn't any chance his mother can be
+alive after the ship exploded, he has probably relatives who want to see
+him."
+
+During the remainder of the day, Jack assisted the little woman with the
+housework, and at sunset the two sat in the favorite place under the old
+oak, until Louis became unusually fretful.
+
+After trying in vain to soothe him, Aunt Nancy insisted they should
+retire, saying as she went toward the house,--
+
+"I am afraid he doesn't feel very well. Are you sure he didn't play in
+the sun while I was away?"
+
+"I kept him in the shade as much as I could. Do you think he can be
+sick?"
+
+"Not enough for us to worry about, Jack dear. Children are apt to fuss
+when everything don't go just right. After I undress him, we'll read the
+Book, and then you shall go to bed."
+
+The fact that Louis was not in his usual good spirits and temper
+worried Jack considerably, despite the little woman's cheery words, and
+when he went to his tiny room it was impossible for him to sleep
+immediately.
+
+He had lain awake fully two hours, at times speculating as to how he and
+the baby would finally get to New York, and again wondering if it could
+be possible that both Captain and Mrs. Littlefield were dead, when the
+stairway door was opened, as Aunt Nancy whispered cautiously,--
+
+"Jack! Jack dear! Are you awake?"
+
+The boy was on his feet in an instant.
+
+"What's the matter? Is Louis worse?"
+
+"He seems to be quite sick. Will you dress and come down?"
+
+Jack answered this summons very quickly as he tried to keep back the dry
+sob which came into his throat, for it seemed as if the greatest
+misfortune which could befall him would be to lose the baby at the time
+when he was in such a good home.
+
+He found Aunt Nancy in the kitchen with Louis in her arms.
+
+A fire had been built in the stove, and the little woman was seated in
+front of it rocking the baby as she stirred the boiling contents of a
+tin kettle.
+
+"Do you know what catnip is when you see it growing?" she asked as Jack
+entered the room.
+
+"I don't; but if you'll tell me where to go, I'll hunt for it."
+
+"Light the lantern, so there won't be any mistake, and run out to the
+lane. You'll find some growing along the fence. Get as much as will fill
+this kettle, and come back as soon as you can."
+
+"Is he very bad?" Jack asked in a trembling voice as he gazed at the
+baby's flushed cheeks.
+
+"I never have had much experience with children, but I guess a little
+catnip tea will bring him around all right by morning."
+
+"Hadn't we better have a doctor?"
+
+"There is no need yet, and, besides, there isn't one within six miles."
+
+"It don't make any difference how far it is, I'm willin' to walk any
+distance for him."
+
+"We will first see what the morning brings forth."
+
+Jack delayed no longer.
+
+The lantern was lighted, and he started at once in search of an herb he
+did not even know by sight.
+
+Ten minutes later he returned with an armful of green leaves, and Aunt
+Nancy bestowed but one hasty glance upon them when she cried,--
+
+"O Jack, Jack, you've spent your time gathering burdocks! If you can
+hold the baby, I'll go after it myself."
+
+"I'd rather try ag'in than have you go out where the grass is wet with
+dew."
+
+"It won't hurt me. Take Louis"; and the little woman put the baby in
+Jack's arms as she hurried away, lantern in hand.
+
+It seemed to Jack as if she had but left the house before she returned
+with the desired herb, and the boy said in surprise,--
+
+"Is that what you call catnip? I saw plenty of it, but didn't think the
+leaves were big enough to do any good."
+
+"In this world it isn't the big things which are capable of working the
+most benefit, Jack."
+
+"If I hadn't known that before, I should after seeing you, Aunt Nancy.
+You're small, but there couldn't be anybody gooder."
+
+Although the little woman said nothing, it could readily be seen that
+the compliment pleased her.
+
+She bustled around much like a busy sparrow, putting the herbs in the
+kettle, making sundry mysterious decoctions, and otherwise preparing
+such things as she thought might be of benefit to the baby.
+
+Jack held Louis meanwhile, and before Aunt Nancy was ready to take him
+again he asked in a low tone,--
+
+"Do you think there is any chance he would die?"
+
+"I don't believe he is in any danger now, Jack dear; but all of us
+should think of death as something which will come sooner or later."
+
+The boy was silent for a moment, and then he asked abruptly,--
+
+"You pray for everything you want, why don't you do it now so he'll be
+sure to live?"
+
+"It wouldn't be right to ask God simply for the child's life."
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"Because He doeth all things well, and we do not know what His purpose
+may be."
+
+"But there can't be any good come of takin' Louis away from me, when
+he's all I've got."
+
+"That is something you don't know, Jack dear. What God does is right,
+and we must bow to His will."
+
+Aunt Nancy spoke in such a solemn tone, or, as Jack afterward expressed
+it, "like as if she was in meetin'," that the boy could say no more, but
+watched intently every move the little woman made until she was ready to
+take the baby in her arms once more.
+
+This night was a long one to both, for neither thought of going to
+sleep.
+
+Once Aunt Nancy insisted Jack should lie down; but he pleaded so hard to
+be allowed to remain awake, that she said no more, and the two sat with
+Louis until daybreak.
+
+During this long time neither spoke until the baby had fallen asleep,
+and Jack was on the point of going out to milk the cow, when the little
+woman said in a tone very like that of fear,--
+
+"Wouldn't it be a dreadful thing if I should be punished for telling a
+lie to Mr. Pratt, by losing Louis just now when we are living so
+comfortably?"
+
+"But you didn't tell a lie," Jack replied just a trifle impatiently.
+
+"Both you and I know I did, however much we may try to persuade
+ourselves that it isn't so, and I am certain some punishment will
+follow."
+
+Jack shook his head incredulously.
+
+He began to understand that it would be useless to attempt to convince
+Aunt Nancy she had not committed a grievous sin, and was disposed to
+lose faith in a religion which would condemn so good a woman for having
+saved himself and the baby from much trouble.
+
+To avoid paining her by saying what was in his mind, he went out to
+milk, and on returning found the baby sleeping naturally.
+
+"He seems much relieved," Aunt Nancy said as she put him to bed. "He
+will probably sleep a long while, and you had better get some rest."
+
+Jack insisted that he did not need any, and continued doing such chores
+as he could find around the house until breakfast was ready, after which
+he proposed going to the post-office.
+
+"Now the letter is written it had better be mailed, an' perhaps there
+are some things you want from the store."
+
+"I do need a few notions; but it seems too bad to have you walk so far
+this hot morning."
+
+"It'll do me good. I can be back by noon, and the weather won't be very
+warm while I'm goin' over."
+
+Aunt Nancy allowed herself to be persuaded, because there really were
+some groceries she wanted, and after making out a list with infinite
+care, cautioning him not to pay more than five cents a pound for the
+coarse sugar and eighty cents for the tea, she gave him a lunch to be
+eaten during the return journey.
+
+"I don't want you to stay any longer than is necessary; but at the same
+time you mustn't hurry too fast," she said, as he walked rapidly down
+the lane; and Jack replied,--
+
+"I'll be back by noon, unless something terrible happens."
+
+Although the hunchback could not move as fast as more favored boys, he
+"kept at it," to use his favorite expression, and by this means was able
+to get over the ground with reasonable rapidity.
+
+He was travelling steadily on, thinking of the baby and Aunt Nancy's
+apparently needless sorrow at having acted a lie during Mr. Pratt's
+call, when he was aroused to a sense of what was passing around him by
+hearing the disagreeably familiar voice of Bill Dean, as he shouted,--
+
+"Hold on there a minute, I want to see you."
+
+Bill was coming across the fields at full speed, and, knowing he could
+not escape if the bully should pursue him, Jack halted.
+
+"So you're tryin' to hide behind Aunt Nancy's apron strings, eh?" Master
+Dean cried as he reached the road.
+
+"I don't know what you mean."
+
+"Oh, yes, you do. Didn't you send her over to tell my father that I was
+goin' to drive you out of town, an' didn't she let on about the lickin'
+we give you?"
+
+"That was her business. I tried to stop her, for I can 'tend to my own
+battles."
+
+"Perhaps you can; we'll see about that later. Say, what of that man who
+was over here huntin' for you?"
+
+Jack's cheeks grew pale.
+
+He understood to whom Bill referred, and it seemed positive the whole
+story would be known, despite the sacrifice made by Aunt Nancy.
+
+"Haven't got anything to say, eh? Well, I'm goin' to see him, an' tell
+where you are, then we'll see how you like tattlers."
+
+Jack was frightened beyond the power of speech.
+
+He had no idea but that his enemy knew exactly where to find Mr. Pratt,
+and firmly believed the time was near at hand when he and Louis would be
+forcibly taken away from Aunt Nancy's kindly care.
+
+"That don't seem to strike you very well!" Bill cried with a laugh of
+triumph. "We'll have this thing fixed up in short order, an' then I
+reckon old Nancy will be ready to hire boys who know their business."
+
+"What makes you jump down on me?" Jack asked piteously.
+
+"You know mighty well. We told you what to do, an' you thought we
+didn't mean business. Now you'll soon find out."
+
+Jack hadn't the heart to hold any further conversation with his
+tormentor.
+
+His only thought was to hurry on that he might be alone where the matter
+could be calmly discussed in his own mind, and walked swiftly away,
+followed by Bill's jeering words.
+
+Now indeed he had a cup running over with sorrow. If his enemies knew of
+Mr. Pratt, it would not be long before that gentleman learned of his
+whereabouts, and it surely seemed as if the time had finally come when
+he must start out on the long journey, leaving behind the dearest friend
+he had ever met since the day when his mother crossed the dark river.
+
+"There's no help for it," he said resolutely, "an' I've got to look at
+this thing right. Bill will tell the farmer right away, an' the sooner
+we leave the farther we'll be off when they come to find us."
+
+Thus the matter was settled in his mind that the flight should be
+resumed at the earliest moment it might be safe to take Louis out of
+doors.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+GARDENING.
+
+
+It can readily be supposed Jack was not inclined to linger on the road
+after this interview with Bill Dean.
+
+That the latter would inform Farmer Pratt of his whereabouts he had no
+doubt, and this was a method of driving him "out of town" for which he
+was not prepared.
+
+Walking at full speed, running over the descending ground, and trying to
+keep on at a good pace when he ascended hills, the journey to Treat's
+store was accomplished in a remarkably short time.
+
+He found many customers before him, however, and was obliged to wait
+until it should be his turn, although he felt quite certain every moment
+was precious.
+
+It was the proprietor of the establishment, who also acted as
+postmaster, that waited upon him, and while weighing out the "notions"
+Aunt Nancy had sent for, the gentleman said, as if answering his own
+question,--
+
+"So you've been hired by Aunt Nancy."
+
+"I'm stayin' there a little while, sir."
+
+"You are, eh? Where do you hail from?"
+
+Jack hesitated an instant, and then replied with a forced laugh,--
+
+"I s'pose I oughter say I belong to the farm, 'cause I haven't any other
+home."
+
+"An orphan, eh?"
+
+"Yes, sir."
+
+"Where did your folks useter live?"
+
+Jack was not aware that Mr. Treat had the name of being the most
+inveterate gossip in the neighborhood; but felt positive there was no
+good reason why he should satisfy his curiosity on this point, more
+particularly since, in view of Bill Dean's threats, he wished to keep as
+a secret everything concerning himself, therefore said with an
+assumption of carelessness,--
+
+"Almost anywhere. You see I was brought up to be a sailor."
+
+"Sho! Is that so? Well now I wouldn't think you'd make much of a fist
+shinnin' 'round on the riggin'."
+
+"Even if I am crooked I might be as spry as other fellers."
+
+"That's a fact; but you don't look it"; and then the worthy Mr. Treat
+turned his attention to the list Aunt Nancy had written for Jack's
+guidance.
+
+When the goods had been made ready the proprietor of the store would
+have questioned the messenger further, but the latter hurried away
+without replying to what he did not consider it was necessary strangers
+should know.
+
+Jack arrived at the farm unusually early, and Aunt Nancy exclaimed as he
+came up the lane looking heated and breathless,--
+
+"Well, I declare! It does beat all how you can get over the ground! Why,
+I've known it to take Daniel Chick's horse a good bit longer to go to
+the post-office and back."
+
+"I was in a hurry to talk with you, an' so come as quick as I could, for
+I'm afraid Louis an' I must go away, even after all that's been done."
+
+The little woman looked up quickly in mingled alarm and surprise.
+
+"Why, what has happened, Jack dear?"
+
+For reply the boy repeated that which Bill Dean had said, and added in
+conclusion,--
+
+"You see Mr. Pratt will be over here the minute he hears the news, an'
+then everything is settled the wrong way."
+
+"Are you certain Bill Dean knows where he lives?"
+
+"Of course he must, else he wouldn't have said what he did."
+
+"I'm sorry to have to doubt his word; but I couldn't put the least
+dependence in a thing he says, and there are more than me in this town
+of the same opinion. Besides, he is too indolent to walk so far."
+
+"Still there's a chance he might send some word."
+
+"You are right, Jack; but at the same time I wouldn't borrow trouble. In
+case that man should come, you can find some way of keeping out of his
+clutches until I see the 'Squire."
+
+"What good would that do?"
+
+"I don't know; but it does seem as if we might prevent him from carrying
+you and the baby away when I'm not only willing but anxious to have you
+both stay with me. I don't believe there is any law to compel children
+who have a good home to go to a poorhouse, and if there is the least bit
+more bother I'm going to have the matter settled once and for all in the
+'Squire's court."
+
+Aunt Nancy spoke in such a decided tone, and seemed so thoroughly
+convinced there was a legal remedy for the trouble, that Jack felt
+relieved at once.
+
+"I could get out of his way, no matter how close he got to me; but
+there's the baby. It might be I was where I couldn't find Louis quick
+enough when the farmer came, an' then he'd soon drag him away."
+
+"The baby will be with me, and I promise you there'll be no dragging
+when I'm around," the little woman said with considerable dignity. "Keep
+up your courage, and I'm sure we shall come out all right, except for
+that miserable action of mine yesterday. If I had told the truth then
+and defied him, things would seem a great deal smoother now."
+
+"Then I'll hold on a while longer."
+
+"Certainly, and in the future stay close around the house, so those
+terrible boys can't make mischief. Did you ever do any gardening, Jack?"
+
+"Do you mean plantin' seeds an' makin' 'em grow?"
+
+"I mean cultivating the ground. No one can force the seeds to grow but
+He who rules over all. I would dearly love to have a few string beans
+and some cabbages, but it's so expensive hiring the land ploughed that I
+haven't been able to afford it."
+
+"I could dig up a good deal with a shovel."
+
+"If you'll try it I will get the seeds, and perhaps we shall have the
+pleasure of harvesting our own crops."
+
+Jack was so relieved in mind that he did not feel any fatigue because of
+the long walk, and insisted on beginning work in the garden at once.
+
+Despite all Aunt Nancy could say against it, he labored industriously
+with the shovel during the next two hours, and at the end of that time
+as much ground had been prepared as the little woman thought necessary.
+
+"It won't do to try too much at first," she said musingly, as, with
+Louis in her arms, she watched the deformed boy make ready the small
+plot between the woodshed and barn. "I'll see about the seeds to-morrow,
+and it does seem as if we might put in more than cabbages and beans now
+that we've got so much room. I didn't suppose you would care to dig up
+very much."
+
+"It isn't such hard work but that I'd be willin' to make one twice this
+size; as it is, I reckon you can plant pretty nearly all you want."
+
+Then Aunt Nancy, looking very grave as if the task was one of the
+greatest importance, measured the plot into rows, putting in little
+bits of wood to mark where each kind of seed should be planted, and when
+it was finished she looked thoroughly happy.
+
+"We shall have a famous garden, Jack dear, and it won't be necessary for
+me to spend so much money for vegetables when the summer boarders come.
+They always wonder why I don't raise my own green stuff."
+
+The garden and the plans concerning it gave both so much pleasure that,
+for the time being at least, Farmer Pratt was almost forgotten.
+
+The chores occupied Jack's time during the remainder of the day, and
+when he retired it was to fall asleep almost immediately because of
+fatigue.
+
+Early next morning Aunt Nancy visited one of the neighbors to procure
+seeds, and when another night came every row was planted.
+
+During the three succeeding days Jack remained near the house, never
+going farther away than the main road, where he spent his spare time
+watching for Farmer Pratt.
+
+It surely seemed as if Bill Dean was ignorant of the gentleman's
+address, or, as Aunt Nancy had suggested, was too indolent to make the
+journey to Scarborough, for nothing was seen or heard of Tom's father,
+and Jack began to feel a certain sense of security.
+
+Louis was as contented as a child well could be, and each day claimed
+more of the little woman's affections until she actually began to look
+forward with dismay to the coming of the summer boarders, because then
+she could not devote to him so much of her time.
+
+Never once was the nightly search for burglars omitted; and when Jack
+asked why such a labor was necessary when it was positive no one could
+enter the house during the day without her knowledge, she replied with
+an ominous shake of the head,--
+
+"We can't say, Jack dear, what might happen. I have done this same thing
+for the last fifteen years, and don't intend to be careless now in my
+old age."
+
+"But you never found anybody, did you?"
+
+"No, and I hope I never shall; but it would be impossible to sleep if I
+neglected what seems like a solemn duty."
+
+On the fourth day after the garden was planted both Jack and Aunt Nancy
+visited it twice to see if the seeds had sprouted, and several times did
+the sight of a weed cause them the greatest joy for a few moments, since
+it seemed certain something in the vegetable line had shown itself.
+
+Like Farmer Pratt, Bill Dean remained out of sight, and the little woman
+was confident she had frightened him away.
+
+"We can count on being left alone this summer, Jack dear, for he won't
+show his head around here. In all the years I have lived on the farm,
+when I went to his father was the first time I ever made a complaint to
+a neighbor, and I hope it will be the last, for I do think people should
+avoid troubling others with such things. We are told that we must
+forgive our brother seventy times seven; but there was no use in doing
+that by William, since it made no difference to him whether he was
+forgiven or not."
+
+Jack was not so confident that those who threatened to drive him away
+had relinquished their purpose; but he said nothing regarding his fears,
+since no good could come of alarming the little woman. The day on which
+the first cabbage showed two tiny leaves above the surface was a
+red-letter day for the amateur gardeners.
+
+Aunt Nancy spent at least two hours admiring it, and the seat under the
+big oak was abandoned at sunset in order that she might search for
+further proofs of their success.
+
+"There is so much pleasure in having a garden that I shall never again
+be without one, that is," she added with a sigh, "if I have you with me.
+I can't bear to think that the time may come when we must part."
+
+"May come? Why, it must come, Aunt Nancy. Just as soon as the weather
+gets cool, we are bound to start."
+
+"I have been thinking perhaps Louis hasn't any relatives living, and in
+that case what would prevent you and he from staying here until I go
+down into the valley of the shadow of death?"
+
+"Nothing would suit me better," Jack replied emphatically. "This is the
+first home I have ever known, and it will be hard to leave it."
+
+"If you do go, Jack dear, it will be a lonely old woman you leave
+behind. I had gotten accustomed to living alone; but now it is
+different, and the house would seem deserted without you and the baby.
+Yet I am afraid something of the kind must happen to punish me for
+telling Mr. Pratt a lie. It is through a crime that I was enabled to
+enjoy your company, and we know what are the wages of sin."
+
+Jack was not disposed to allow the conversation to continue in this
+channel.
+
+He could not bring himself to believe the little woman had done anything
+wrong in letting Farmer Pratt think he and Louis were not there, and it
+made him impatient to hear her blame herself so severely.
+
+"You see, Aunt Nancy, we would have to leave whether you done as you did
+or not, for how can we tell whether Capt. Littlefield or his wife are
+alive unless we go to find out?"
+
+"Oh, Abner will attend to all that! He lived in York State so long that
+he knows nearly every one in it by this time, and when we hear from him
+the whole story must be known, for interesting himself in other people's
+affairs is what exactly suits Abner."
+
+Jack could not be satisfied with this reply.
+
+He believed implicitly everything Aunt Nancy told him, and she was so
+positive that there appeared to be no chance for doubt.
+
+The little woman was called from the contemplation of the garden by that
+which, for a moment, caused Jack the greatest alarm.
+
+The rattle of wheels was heard from the road, and an instant later Aunt
+Nancy said in surprise,--
+
+"Mercy on us! who can that be driving up the lane?"
+
+"It is the farmer comin' for us!" Jack cried excitedly as he caught
+Louis from Aunt Nancy's arms, and would have run off at full speed if
+she had not restrained him.
+
+"Wait a moment, my child. I don't see any man in the wagon."
+
+Jack looked quickly in the direction of the newcomers and then said,--
+
+"There are two women, but one of them may be Mrs. Pratt."
+
+Again he would have sought refuge in flight but for Aunt Nancy's
+detaining hand.
+
+"It is only Mrs. Hayes and Mrs. Souders. I suppose they have come to
+make a call, and what _will_ they think at seeing the house in such
+confusion?"
+
+Jack, now that his fears were allayed, could not repress a smile at the
+idea of Aunt Nancy's house ever being in anything save a cleanly and
+orderly condition; but the little woman appeared really distressed
+because she had not had an opportunity to inspect it thoroughly before
+receiving company.
+
+"Take care of Louis, and stay under the oak-tree until I come out
+again," she said, hurrying away to receive the newcomers.
+
+Jack loitered near the barn where he would not be seen until the
+visitors had alighted, tied securely the aged horse, whose only
+ambition appeared to be to remain motionless, and entered the house.
+
+Then, instead of doing as Aunt Nancy had suggested, he took Louis into
+the woodshed, amusing him there for nearly an hour, when the two ladies
+departed.
+
+"Where are you, Jack?" the little woman called softly when the horse had
+drawn the wagon and its occupants on to the highway.
+
+"What is the matter?" Jack cried, as on emerging from his place of
+retreat he saw a look of deepest anxiety on Aunt Nancy's face. "Did they
+come here to take us away?"
+
+"It's not quite as bad as that," the little woman replied with a
+long-drawn sigh, "but very nearly. What _do_ you suppose they wanted?"
+
+Jack didn't even attempt to hazard a guess, and Aunt Nancy continued in
+a mournful tone,--
+
+"They want to hold the monthly sewing circle here day after to-morrow!"
+
+"Well?" Jack asked, surprised that such a request should have caused so
+much distress.
+
+"Well? Why, Jack, how can you treat it so lightly? Just think of it!
+Only one day to clean house, go to the store, and do all the cooking!"
+
+"I don't see that there'll be very much to do in the way of cleaning
+house. It shines like a new three-cent piece already, and how are you
+goin' to make it look any better?"
+
+"O Jack! boys don't understand about such things. You can't see in the
+corners where the dirt always lodges, and the company will be sure to
+find everything that is slighted."
+
+"Well, I can go to the store for you at least."
+
+"I wouldn't allow you to take the chances of seeing William Dean even if
+you could do the errands, which is impossible. I must get Mr. Chick to
+carry me over in his team, and while I am away you and Louis are to stay
+in the house with the doors locked."
+
+"I don't think there is any need of that. Those fellers wouldn't dare to
+come here."
+
+"I can't believe they would; but at the same time it will do no harm to
+be careful. Now what _shall_ we have for supper?"
+
+"Do you mean to-night?"
+
+"Of course not. It doesn't make any difference what we eat for a day or
+two; but we must think very seriously of what is to be cooked for the
+circle."
+
+"Have some of your nice biscuits and a piece of cake. If folks can get
+anything better than that, they deserve to go hungry."
+
+"O Jack! you don't understand such things. I should be mortified almost
+to death if I didn't do as well as Mrs. Souders did when the circle met
+at her house last month."
+
+Then Aunt Nancy, looking as if a heavy burden of care had suddenly
+fallen upon her, went in to the kitchen, taking Louis with her, that
+Jack might be free to milk the cow.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+LOUIS'S ADVENTURE.
+
+
+On this evening, immediately after supper had been eaten and the dishes
+washed, Aunt Nancy announced that it would be necessary for her to call
+upon Mr. Daniel Chick.
+
+"If I wait until morning his team may not be at home, and, besides, I
+want him to be ready to make an early start. We must be back by noon at
+the latest."
+
+"Why not let me go and tell him what you want?" Jack asked.
+
+"Because you don't know where he lives, and then again it is necessary
+to pass Mr. Dean's in order to reach his house. William might be at
+home, and who knows what would happen?"
+
+Then Aunt Nancy made a hurried toilet, clothing herself in one of those
+quaint costumes which Jack did not think at all becoming, and said, as
+she entered the kitchen again,--
+
+"You must promise not to step your foot out of doors while I am gone.
+Keep everything well locked, and if any one should happen to call don't
+show yourself without first learning who they are."
+
+Jack agreed, and while the little woman was absent he rocked Louis to
+sleep, swept the floor until one would have said a broom ought to be
+ashamed for going over such a cleanly surface with any idea of
+collecting dirt, and was in the "fore-room" with a lighted candle
+admiring the crockery rooster when Aunt Nancy returned.
+
+"It's me, Jack dear!" she cried as she knocked softly on the door, and
+when it was opened, entered with the air of one who has been successful.
+
+"I got there just in time. He was going over to Henry Mitchell's to tell
+him he'd haul gravel to-morrow; but of course he had rather go to
+Treat's, for the work isn't so hard on either himself or his horse. Now
+we must get to bed early, for I told him I wanted to start by sunrise at
+the very latest."
+
+"But, Aunt Nancy, you don't mean that I am to stay in the house with the
+doors locked all the forenoon, do you? There are lots of things I could
+do; but it would be pretty warm if there wasn't any chance for air."
+
+"I suppose you might have the doors open, provided you kept a sharp
+watch on the road, and closed them again in case that Dean boy or his
+associates should come," the little woman replied thoughtfully.
+
+"What shall I do?"
+
+"You could clean the knives and forks, and wash all the best dishes
+through two waters. Be careful when you wipe them, Jack dear, for it
+would be terrible if any should be broken."
+
+After these arrangements had been made, Aunt Nancy remained silent a
+short time to free her mind from worldly thoughts, and then came the
+evening devotions, when the little woman prayed earnestly for the "weary
+and heavy laden," which Jack thought was a reference to herself and the
+expected company.
+
+It was yet dark next morning when a noise from the kitchen aroused the
+hunchback, and hurrying down he found Aunt Nancy busily engaged
+preparing breakfast.
+
+"Why, you must have stayed awake all night!" he exclaimed in surprise.
+
+"Indeed I wasn't so foolish as to do anything of the kind; but when I
+have work on hand I like to be about it, and goodness knows there's
+plenty for me to do between now and to-morrow night."
+
+"Did you wake Louis?"
+
+"No; let him sleep as long as he chooses. You can dress and give him
+some bread and milk?"
+
+"That part of it will be all right," Jack replied confidently, and then
+he prepared to astonish old crumple-horn by appearing before her while
+it was yet so dark that she could hardly see the lunch of clover to
+which she was accustomed during milking time.
+
+Breakfast had been cooked, eaten, and the dishes washed before Mr.
+Daniel Chick and his venerable horse came up the lane.
+
+Aunt Nancy was not only ready for the journey, but had begun to grow
+impatient because of the delay, when he reined up in front of the broad
+stone step as he said in a cheery tone, calculated to soothe any angry
+feelings,--
+
+"Well, I must say you're a master hand at gettin' up, Aunt Nancy. 'Pears
+like as if you was allers on foot like a sparrer."
+
+"I try to do what I have on hand in good season," was the rather sharp
+reply. "There would be less poor folks in this world if people didn't
+dally round in such a shiftless manner."
+
+Mr. Chick knew full well that this remark was aimed especially at him;
+but like a wise man he made no reply lest worse should follow, and
+turned the wheels of the wagon that the little woman might have no
+trouble in clambering on board.
+
+Aunt Nancy stopped only long enough to give some parting advice to Jack.
+
+"Be sure to keep a sharp watch on the road if you have the doors open,"
+she whispered, "and don't go out, even into the yard, unless it is
+absolutely necessary, for nobody knows what may happen. When you wash
+the best dishes be careful, Jack dear, for I should feel very badly in
+case any were broken."
+
+"I'll attend to it in great shape, Aunt Nancy."
+
+"Don't give Louis too much milk at a time, the weather is so hot that it
+might curdle on his stomach; and if I don't succeed in getting home
+until afternoon, there is some cold meat and cake on the hanging shelf
+in the cellar. Don't go without a lunch; it is very unhealthy to work
+while you are hungry."
+
+"Who's dallying now, Aunt Nancy?" Mr. Chick cried as he tried to prevent
+his horse from nibbling at the honeysuckle-bush.
+
+"If you had come as you agreed I should have had plenty of time to
+attend to matters," was the sharp reply; and then with many injunctions
+for him to keep a firm hold on the reins, the little woman succeeded in
+gaining the rather shaky seat.
+
+"Take good care of Louis!" she cried as the horse ambled slowly down the
+lane; and Jack re-entered the house feeling decidedly lonely at the
+prospect of being without Aunt Nancy for several hours.
+
+In order to occupy his mind he set about the work laid out, and was so
+industrious that before the baby made known the fact of being awake, the
+knives and forks had been cleaned.
+
+Fully an hour was spent dressing and feeding Louis, after which he was
+allowed to play on the kitchen floor while his crooked guardian washed
+the "best dishes."
+
+This was a task which required considerable time, and at eleven o'clock
+it was hardly more than half finished.
+
+Then again Louis wanted milk, and when it had been given him he insisted
+upon being allowed to go out on the doorstep.
+
+At first Jack was disposed to keep him in the house; but when he became
+fretful, gave him his own way, as he said half to himself,--
+
+"I don't s'pose there can be any harm in lettin' you stay here; but if
+anything _should_ happen, Aunt Nancy would think I had been careless."
+
+After that he kept a strict watch over the baby, going to the door every
+few moments, and on each occasion finding Louis playing contentedly
+with a string of buttons the little woman had prepared for him.
+
+The fact that he showed no disposition to leave the broad stone caused
+Jack to have less care than usual, and this, coupled with the idea of
+cleaning the most elaborate dishes, rendered him oblivious to the flight
+of time.
+
+He was brought to a realization of what was passing around by hearing
+the rumble of a carriage in the lane, and almost before he could reach
+the door, Aunt Nancy was in the house, while Mr. Chick had driven away
+at the full speed of his very slow horse.
+
+"Did you get along all right, Jack dear?" the little woman asked, as she
+deposited an armful of bundles on the table.
+
+"Yes, indeed. You see there has been plenty of work, and it doesn't seem
+any time since you left."
+
+"Where is the baby?"
+
+"On the doorstep. He fussed to go out, an' I thought the fresh air
+wouldn't do him any harm."
+
+"Which doorstep?"
+
+"Why here, of course"; and Jack stepped forward only to give vent to a
+cry of alarm an instant later. "He isn't here at all! Where do you
+suppose he could have gone?"
+
+Aunt Nancy was at the door before he ceased speaking, and gazed up and
+down the yard in bewilderment, but without seeing any signs of the
+missing baby.
+
+For an instant the two stood gazing at each other in perplexity, and
+then Aunt Nancy asked sharply,--
+
+"How long since you saw him?"
+
+"It didn't seem many minutes before you came; but I s'pose it must have
+been, else he'd be 'round here now."
+
+"Run up to the barn and see if he is there!"
+
+As she spoke the little woman went down the lane, returning just as Jack
+came back.
+
+"He isn't there," the latter said.
+
+"Nor on the road. Of course he must be somewhere near, for children
+can't disappear entirely in such a mysterious fashion. Go up the lane
+and I'll look back of the barn."
+
+"But then we shall be leaving the barn alone You stay here an' I'll do
+the searchin'."
+
+"It wouldn't make any difference if we left the house wide open for a
+month, I couldn't stand still while that dear little baby is wandering
+around nobody knows where."
+
+Jack understood that it would be useless to remonstrate, and started off
+at full speed.
+
+Up to the entire length of the lane he ran without finding that for
+which he sought, and then back to the house where he was met by Aunt
+Nancy on whose wrinkled face was written fear and anguish.
+
+She did not wait for him to tell her that the search had been in vain,
+but cried,--
+
+"Go up through the field from the shed. There is a place where he might
+have gotten through the fence, and it would lead directly to the duck
+pond if he kept on in a straight line!"
+
+There was a tone in her voice which told of the fear she had regarding
+the possible ending of his adventures; and Jack, with a mental prayer
+that he would find the little fellow before it was too late, ran across
+the enclosure, Aunt Nancy going in the same direction, but at a slight
+angle.
+
+The little woman's anxiety gave fleetness to her feet, and she travelled
+even faster than Jack could.
+
+Both called loudly from time to time, but without receiving any answer,
+and Jack's heart grew heavy as he thought of what might have happened
+while he was in the house all unconscious of impending trouble.
+
+As the two neared the pond the figure of a boy could be distinguished
+among the foliage of alders running at full speed toward the main road,
+and Jack shouted to Aunt Nancy,--
+
+"There goes one of Bill Dean's gang. They know where Louis is."
+
+This caused the little woman to redouble her cries, and a few seconds
+later two more boys could be dimly seen as they hurried away, keeping
+well within the shelter of the bushes to avoid recognition.
+
+There was no longer any question in Jack's mind but that he would soon
+find the baby, nor was he mistaken.
+
+On arriving in view of the pond both saw a rudely constructed raft of
+fence rails at least ten yards from the shore, and on it, crowing and
+laughing as if he was having the jolliest possible time sat Louis.
+
+"How can we reach him?" Aunt Nancy cried, as she stood wringing her
+hands, while the big tears ran down her cheeks. "He will surely be
+drowned, Jack! What is to be done?"
+
+The hunchback had no thought of his own safety or discomfort as compared
+with that of rescuing the baby.
+
+Without hesitation he ran into the pond, continuing on at risk of being
+mired, until the water was above his waist, and the baby held out his
+hands to be taken.
+
+[Illustration: Jack ran into the pond, until the water was above his
+waist, and the baby held out his hands to be taken.--Page 147.]
+
+"Sit still Louis, sit still an' Jack will come to you!"
+
+It was impossible to run very fast through the water; and to Aunt Nancy,
+who stood on the bank in helpless grief, it seemed as if the deformed
+lad hardly moved, so slow was his progress.
+
+More than once did it appear as if the baby would attempt to leave the
+raft in order to meet his crooked guardian; but by dint of coaxing, Jack
+succeeded in persuading him to remain seated until he gained his side.
+
+Then he lifted the child in his arms, staggering ashore to where the
+little woman stood waiting to receive him, and the rescue was
+accomplished.
+
+Aunt Nancy alternately laughed and cried as she pressed Louis closely to
+her bosom, and Jack stood silently by, wondering whether he was to be
+scolded for having so grossly neglected his charge.
+
+It was several moments before she paid any attention to the older boy,
+and then it was to exclaim,--
+
+"Mercy on us, Jack! I had entirely forgotten you! Run home as soon as
+possible, or you will catch your death a cold!"
+
+"A wettin' won't hurt me on a warm day like this. I'm used to such
+things."
+
+"But you must change your clothes at once, and there's no other way but
+to put on one of my dresses again."
+
+Jack gave no heed to this suggestion, or command, whichever it might be
+called. He was trying to understand how the baby could have come so far
+without assistance, when Aunt Nancy said suddenly,--
+
+"It doesn't take one loner to realize how the dear little fellow came
+here. Those wicked boys must have found him near the shed, and brought
+him to this place."
+
+Several poles lying near by told how the raft was forced toward the
+centre of the pond, and the fact that three fellows had been seen
+running through the bushes was sufficient proof, at least to Aunt Nancy
+and Jack, that Bill Dean and his friends had done the mischief.
+
+"I should forget everything I ought to remember if I had that Dean boy
+here this minute!" the little woman said angrily as she surveyed the
+evidences of the cruel work. "It is a burning shame that such as he
+should be allowed among decent people!"
+
+"We don't know for certain that it was Bill Dean," Jack suggested.
+
+"Yes, we do, for there is no other boy in this town who does such
+things. I shall see his father again, and when I do it will be very hard
+work to rule my spirit."
+
+"It only makes them worse to complain."
+
+"Then I will have him arrested!" And now Aunt Nancy spoke in such an
+angry tone that Jack did not venture to reply; but he knew from past
+experience that she would soon be sorry for having given way to her
+temper.
+
+Again the little woman spoke of Jack's condition as if she had not
+noticed it before, and insisted on his coming home at once, although she
+could not have supposed he wished to go anywhere else.
+
+Louis apparently had no idea he had been exposed to danger, but laughed
+and pulled at the tiny ringlets either side Aunt Nancy's face until her
+anger vanished, and she said in a tone of penitence,--
+
+"Really, Jack dear, I get frightened sometimes when I realize how wicked
+I am growing. I can't seem to control my temper in anything which
+concerns the baby, and goodness knows how it is all going to end. I
+began by telling a lie, and now say terrible things on the slightest
+provocation, though goodness knows this would have stirred up almost
+any one. You see I took the first step, which is the hardest, and now
+fall before the least temptation."
+
+"You oughtent talk that way, Aunt Nancy. If everybody was as good as you
+are, this would be an awful nice place to live in."
+
+The little woman shook her head as if reproaching him for his words of
+praise, but did not continue the subject, because by this time they had
+arrived at the house, and it was necessary she should get the garments
+Jack had worn once before.
+
+Again the hunchback received a ducking under the pump, and then went out
+to the barn to make his toilet.
+
+"Come back as soon as you can, for I want to show you what I bought, and
+between us we must decide what we shall have for supper to-morrow."
+
+When Jack returned to the house, Aunt Nancy had her purchases arranged
+on the table that he might see them to the best advantage, and then came
+the discussion of what was a very important matter in the little woman's
+mind.
+
+"I bought citron so as to make that kind of cake if you think it would
+be nicer than sponge, though I have always been very fortunate in making
+sponge cake, and that is a good deal more than most people can say."
+
+"Why not have both kinds?"
+
+"I declare I never thought of that. It is the very thing, and I'll begin
+at once while you finish the dishes. This time we'll see if between both
+of us we can't keep Louis away from those wicked boys. I got a nice ham,
+for that is always good cold, and I engaged two chickens from Daniel
+Chick. Had we better have them roasted or boiled?"
+
+"I thought this was to be only a supper."
+
+"That's what it is; but it would never do to have but one kind of cold
+meat. Why, if you'll believe me, Mrs. Souders had chicken, ham, and
+tongue, to say nothing of soused pig's feet."
+
+"Your supper'll be better'n hers if you make plenty of hot biscuit."
+
+"I shall surely do that, and have loaf bread besides. I wonder if you
+couldn't wait on the table?"
+
+"Of course I can. That was what I did on board the 'Atlanta.'"
+
+"Then we shall get along famously. Now help me clear off one end of this
+table, and I'll begin work."
+
+The little woman at once set about the task of preparing food for the
+members of the sewing circle, and nothing was done without first asking
+Jack's advice.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+THE SEWING CIRCLE.
+
+
+So deeply engrossed was Aunt Nancy in the work of making ready for the
+supper, that the indignities offered Louis by Bill Dean and his partners
+passed almost unheeded for the time being.
+
+It is true that now and then she would speak of what had been done,
+announcing her intention of complaining again to Bill's father; but the
+words would hardly be spoken before something in the culinary line
+demanded her attention, and the subject would be dropped until a more
+convenient season.
+
+Jack labored most industriously, beating eggs, sifting flour, washing
+pans, and keeping the fire roaring, thus doing his full share in the
+important preparations.
+
+Louis was forced to remain in the kitchen, despite his great desire to
+get out of doors; and both Jack and the little woman kept strict watch
+over him, but happily ignorant of the fact that hidden within the
+friendly shelter of the alder-bushes were Bill Dean and his chums
+watching another opportunity to get hold of the baby as before.
+
+"The sewin' circle is goin' over to old Nancy's termorrer," Bill said in
+a whisper, "an' we won't be smart if we don't get a chance to square off
+with Hunchie."
+
+"What do you count on doin'?" Sam Phinney asked.
+
+"That's jest what we've got to fix up. The old woman will have her hands
+full of company, an' it seems as if we might rig somethin' that'll pay.
+Hunchie won't show himself outside the place, for he knows we're layin'
+for him, an' our only show is to sneak in while the supper is goin' on."
+
+"We can easy get in the shed an' wait for something to turn up," Jip
+Lewis suggested; and the others thought this a very good idea.
+
+"I'll cook up somethin' between now an' then," Bill said confidently.
+"There ain't much chance they'll let that youngster out ag'in, so come,
+go over on the hill an' see what the fellers there are doin'."
+
+This had the effect of causing the party to adjourn without anything
+having been accomplished save an agreement between the three that,
+during the meeting of the sewing circle something should be done toward
+settling matters with the boy who insisted upon remaining in town after
+they had warned him to leave.
+
+During the remainder of the day Aunt Nancy and Jack worked without
+ceasing in the kitchen, and when night came the arrangements for the
+company were so nearly completed that the little woman said with a sigh
+of relief when she and her crooked-assistant were resting under the old
+oak,--
+
+"I declare, Jack dear, it is surprising how much we have done since
+noon! I never could have gotten through without you, and don't
+understand what I did before you came."
+
+"I wish I could do more. It doesn't seem as if I worked half hard enough
+to pay for what you've done to help Louis an' me."
+
+"Bless you, child, I'd be paid a dozen times over if I had nothing more
+than your company; and as for work, why, you've done twice as much as
+Daniel Chick's daughter would in the same time, and I should have paid
+her fifty cents, at least, if you hadn't been here."
+
+"It doesn't seem very much anyhow; but if you're satisfied, why that
+settles it, of course. I wonder if Bill Dean's crowd will try to get
+hold of Louis again?"
+
+"Not after I've seen his father, and that's just what I intend to do
+when the circle meetin' is over. We had better get old crumple-horn in
+the yard now so we can go to bed early, for I count on being at work by
+sunrise to-morrow."
+
+The chores were quickly done, the house searched once more for possible
+intruders, the evening devotions concluded, and Jack went to his tiny
+room happy in the thought that he had been of considerable assistance to
+Aunt Nancy.
+
+The finishing touches were completed by noon on the following day, and
+the little woman was arrayed in all her antiquated finery to receive the
+expected guests.
+
+Jack had only the suit of clothes he had worn at the time of leaving the
+"Atlanta," consequently very little could be done on his part toward
+"dressing up"; but his face shone from repeated applications of soap and
+water, his hair was combed until every portion of it looked as if it had
+been fastened in place, and his shoes had a very high polish.
+
+Louis's white frock had been washed and ironed, therefore he was, as
+Aunt Nancy expressed it, "in apple-pie order, and as pretty a baby as
+ever came into Maine."
+
+"I suppose we shall have to put some of the horses in the stable, Jack
+dear, for a good many of the people will ride, and the question is
+whether you could unharness them?" Aunt Nancy said as she sat in the
+"fore-room" awaiting the coming of the guests.
+
+"I never did such a thing; but it can't be hard if a feller watches how
+the harness comes off."
+
+"You are smart enough to do almost anything. I'm certain there won't be
+trouble," Aunt Nancy said in a tone of conviction, and then the rumble
+of wheels on the lane told that the first of the "company" was coming.
+
+The newcomer was Mrs. Souders, who drove a horse Jack felt confident he
+could unharness; and as she alighted he stood by the head of the
+venerable animal as he had seen regular grooms do in the city.
+
+From that time until nearly three o'clock the hunchback was kept very
+busy attending to the stable work.
+
+Not less than ten horses were driven into the yard, and he was expected
+to put them in a barn where were but two stalls, including the one it
+would be necessary to reserve for old crumple-horn.
+
+It was some time before he could solve the problem, but it was finally
+done by hitching several to the fence outside, and standing the
+remainder on the thrashing-floor.
+
+The matter of harness and carriages troubled him considerably; but he
+believed the owners of the same would be able to recognize their
+property, therefore no attempt was made to keep them in regular order.
+
+When the visitors ceased to arrive, and Aunt Nancy told him she did not
+think any more were coming, he went to the pump for a thorough wash, and
+while thus engaged heard a certain portion of the conversation which
+came from the "fore-room" where the members of the circle were supposed
+to be working very hard to relieve the poor and distressed by supplying
+them with garments, each fashioned according to the fancy of its maker.
+
+Not for a moment would Jack have thought of deliberately playing the
+part of eavesdropper; but hearing reference made to Louis and himself,
+it was only natural he should linger longer than was absolutely
+necessary.
+
+Mrs. Souders was speaking when he first came near the house, and he
+heard her say quite sharply,--
+
+"Why, Nancy Curtis, are you thinkin' of adoptin' a couple of children at
+your time of life, an' one of 'em a worthless cripple that'll always be
+a bill of expense? It seems as if you'd lived long enough in the world
+to be more sensible."
+
+"I'd like to know, Sarah Souders, why you think Jack is 'worthless'?"
+the little woman asked in a tone of indignation.
+
+"Because he can't be anything else. A hunchback isn't any better than a
+reg'lar invalid, an' besides I've always heard it said they are terribly
+conceited."
+
+"Then this one is an exception. I never had a girl on the farm that
+helped me as much as he does, and as for the baby--"
+
+"That's it exactly," Mrs. Souders interrupted. "It seems that the
+cripple isn't enough, but you are determined to make your cross heavier
+by taking care of a baby, when it would be better to think of restin'
+your old bones."
+
+"If it is a pleasure to me, it would seem as if nothing should be said
+against it," Aunt Nancy replied mildly. "I only wish it might be
+possible for me to keep the little fellow as long as I live."
+
+Then Jack heard that which told him Aunt Nancy was kissing the baby, and
+he said to himself,--
+
+"If these people think Aunt Nancy has no business to keep me here, I
+s'pose they are right, an' I oughter go away."
+
+"Of course you've the privilege of doing as you please, Nancy Curtis,"
+Mrs. Souders continued, "but I must maintain that it is wrong for you to
+be obliged to support two helpless children when it is hard work to make
+both ends meet. I am only sayin' this for your own good, Nancy, an' both
+Mrs. Hayes an' myself decided it was the duty of some one to talk with
+you about it."
+
+The little woman made no reply to this, and Jack was forced to leave the
+pump, since his toilet had been completed.
+
+"They've made her believe it," he said to himself as the tears would
+persist in coming into his eyes, "an' it's my place to tell her I'll go.
+Then she won't have any more trouble with Bill Dean's crowd."
+
+He firmly believed it was necessary he and Louis should leave the farm,
+and the knowledge that Aunt Nancy depended upon him during this day, at
+least, was a positive pleasure.
+
+It had been agreed he should wait upon the table.
+
+Such dishes as could not well remain on the overladen board were to be
+left in the small summer kitchen, and the little woman had arranged a
+system of signals by which he could understand what she wanted.
+
+Although it was yet too soon for supper, he went to his post of duty in
+order to be ready at the earliest moment Aunt Nancy should require his
+services, and there stayed, thinking mournfully of what he had heard.
+
+In the mean while the stable was unguarded, for Jack had no idea danger
+was to be apprehended from that quarter, and at about the same time he
+entered the kitchen, Bill Dean said to his companions who had followed
+him into the shed,--
+
+"I did have a plan for some fun, fellers; but now there's a bigger show
+than we ever struck. I don't reckon Hunchie knows very much about
+harnessin' horses, an' even if he does we'll set him wild."
+
+"How?" Sam asked in a whisper.
+
+"It ain't likely anybody will go out to the barn till after supper, is
+it?"
+
+"Of course not."
+
+"Then all we've got to do is to sneak around back of the stable. I know
+how to get in from there, an' we'll mix them harnesses up in sich shape
+that even Mike Crane himself couldn't put 'em together in less'n one
+day."
+
+"You're a brick, Bill, at fixin' things. Let's hurry, for it'll take
+quite awhile."
+
+With decidedly more care than was necessary, the conspirators crept out
+of the shed, and, going around by the rear of the buildings, entered the
+barn where Jack had left the harness.
+
+There was not one in the party who would not have grumbled loud and long
+had he been obliged to work as rapidly and hard as was necessary in
+order to effect their purpose; but since it was mischief instead of
+useful labor, neither so much as dreamed of complaining.
+
+The harness belonging to the teams driven by Mrs. Souders and Mrs. Hayes
+received the greater portion of their attention.
+
+On them nearly every strap was shortened or lengthened, and other parts
+interchanged, until one not thoroughly familiar with both could hardly
+have recognized the original set.
+
+Each in turn was overhauled, and when the mischief-makers left the barn
+there was no question but that Jack would have great difficulty in
+untangling the snarl, even if he should ever be able to do so.
+
+"I reckon that will make all hands mad, an' Hunchie's the one who is
+bound to get the blame," Bill said with a chuckle of satisfaction as
+they stood for an instant at the rear of the barn. "Now where'll we
+stay to watch the fun?"
+
+"Out by the cow-yard. The grass is so tall nobody'll ever see us."
+
+This appeared to be a good idea, and the three adopted it at once,
+although all believed it must be several hours before Jack would be
+called upon to harness the horses.
+
+In the kitchen the deformed boy, with a heart so heavy it seemed as if
+he could never smile again, waited patiently until a bustle from the
+"fore-room" told that the guests were making preparations to discuss
+Aunt Nancy's supper.
+
+"They are getting ready to come," the little woman said excitedly, as
+she entered the kitchen hurriedly. "Help me fill these plates with
+biscuit, and then cover the rest over and leave them in the oven till
+they are needed. I was afraid I should have bad luck with my bread; but
+it seems to be all right."
+
+"Them biscuit couldn't be better if the Queen of England had made 'em,"
+Jack replied emphatically.
+
+"I'm sure I don't know what kind of a breadmaker she may be; but I
+wouldn't like to have it said that even a queen could do better than I,
+taking it the whole year through, an' allowing for the trouble that
+yeast will sometimes cause."
+
+Aunt Nancy was ready to go into the main kitchen, which on this occasion
+had been converted into a dining-room, and Jack followed close behind
+with his hands full of plates.
+
+It so chanced that the guests had not waited to be summoned, but came
+from the "fore-room" under the pretence of assisting the little woman,
+and Jack, who was walking quite rapidly, intent only on carrying the
+dishes without accident, ran directly into Mrs. Souders.
+
+That lady had never been celebrated for curbing her temper, and to-day
+she appeared to be in a very ill-humor, probably because of something
+which may have been said by her friends in the "fore-room."
+
+Therefore, instead of treating the matter as an accident, and
+acknowledging she had no business to be standing in the way of those who
+were working, she wheeled suddenly and gave the cripple a resounding
+blow on the ear, which sent him headlong, scattering plates and biscuit
+in every direction.
+
+"You little beggar!" she screamed, as her face grew crimson with rage.
+"I didn't come here to have any of your low tricks played on me. If
+Nancy Curtis hasn't got spirit enough to give you a lesson, I'll do it
+myself."
+
+She stepped quickly toward poor Jack, who stood silent and motionless
+surveying the wreck of Aunt Nancy's best crockery, never for a moment
+thinking the guest had any idea of inflicting further punishment, and
+seized him by the coat collar.
+
+Jack involuntarily threw up his arm to ward off the blow; but the heavy
+hand descended twice in rapid succession, and then it was grasped from
+behind as the little woman's voice, trembling with suppressed rage, was
+heard,--
+
+"Sarah Souders, aren't you ashamed to strike a cripple?"
+
+"Indeed I'm not when it is one like this, whose place is at the poor
+farm rather than in decent people's houses"; and the lady would have
+repeated the blow but for the fact that Aunt Nancy clung to her with
+nervous desperation.
+
+"Don't you _dare_ strike that child again, Sarah Souders!" she cried. "I
+am trying hard to rule my spirit, but the struggle may be too much for
+my strength, and then I shall say that which would make me sorry
+afterward."
+
+"You should be sorry now when you reject the advice of your best
+friends," Mrs. Souders replied; but she released her hold of Jack's
+collar, and he began gathering up the fragments of crockery and bread.
+
+"If you mean that I ought to throw these children, who have made my life
+happier than it has been for many years, out on to a world of such
+hard-hearted people as you, then it is time you tried to understand the
+meaning of the word 'charity,'" the little woman said with a slight
+tremor of the voice as she stepped back a few paces from her angry
+guest. "The fault was yours, so far as his running into you was
+concerned. He was doing his work, and you were in his way."
+
+"I didn't suppose your foolishness had gone so far that you would uphold
+the crooked little beggar when he deliberately insults one who has been
+your best friend."
+
+"He had no intention of insulting you, and I do not want him called a
+beggar, for he isn't. Even though he was, I have yet to learn that
+poverty is a crime."
+
+"I see plainly this is no place for me. The most you can do now is to
+turn me out of doors."
+
+"I do not wish to do anything of the kind, but feel called upon to
+advise that you think the matter over before speaking again."
+
+"That is sufficient, Nancy Curtis, quite sufficient. Jane Hayes, will
+you go with me, or do you prefer to remain?"
+
+"I shall stay here," Mrs. Hayes replied; and with a fling of her skirts,
+which was probably intended to express both indignation and injury
+received, Mrs. Souders sailed out of the room.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+AFTER THE STORM.
+
+
+Jack who had gathered up the fragments and swept the crumbs from the
+floor, now looked about him in alarm.
+
+The sense of having been wrongly treated was overpowered by the thought
+that he was the cause, however innocent, of plunging Aunt Nancy into new
+troubles.
+
+It seemed just then as if he was pursued by some unkind fate which
+brought to him and those who befriended him all manner of misfortune.
+
+During fully a minute after Mrs. Souders drifted so majestically from
+the room, not a word was spoken.
+
+Aunt Nancy stood leaning against the table, a vivid red spot glowing on
+either cheek, and holding her hand over her heart as if to repress its
+beatings.
+
+The guests gathered around her, each trying at the same time to express
+her opinion of what had occurred,--a proceeding which resulted only in
+a perfect Babel of confusion.
+
+The little woman soon recovered her composure sufficiently to remember
+her duties as hostess, and said to Jack in a low tone,--
+
+"Do you think you can harness Mrs. Souders's horse? We mustn't forget
+the courtesy we owe a guest, no matter what has happened."
+
+"I can do it if she will show me which wagon an' harness is hers. You
+see there were so many teams comin' all at once I couldn't keep run of
+'em."
+
+"Go out and do the best you can. Very likely she will be at the stable
+by the time you get there."
+
+Jack hurried away feeling rather uncertain as to what the result would
+be when he was alone with the angry woman, but determined to remain
+silent whatever she might say.
+
+On reaching the barn he had but little difficulty in deciding upon the
+carriage he believed belonged to Mrs. Souders, and was backing it into
+the yard when that lady arrived.
+
+"Are you so stupid that you can't tell one wagon from another?" she
+asked sharply.
+
+"Isn't this yours, ma'am?"
+
+"No, it isn't, and you know as well as I do."
+
+"I never saw it but once, an' that was when there were a good many here.
+If you'll pick it out, an' show me the harness, I'll soon have the horse
+hitched up."
+
+"I suppose Nancy Curtis told you to get rid of me as soon as possible;
+what you did in the dining-room wasn't enough, eh?"
+
+"Indeed she didn't; an', if you please, ma'am, I couldn't tell where you
+was goin' to step when I had my arms full of dishes."
+
+"You needn't talk to me. If Nancy Curtis is fool enough to put you above
+your place, it's no reason why you should think others haven't good
+sense. That is my carriage, and the sooner it is ready the better I'll
+be pleased."
+
+Jack wheeled out the vehicle she designated, and then asked,--
+
+"Now will you tell me which is your harness an' horse?"
+
+"You're a bigger fool than I took you to be," was the reply, as the lady
+rushed like a small-sized tornado into the barn, and, after some
+difficulty, succeeded in finding the animal, which was hitched with the
+others on the thrashing-floor. "Couldn't even find a stall for him! I
+don't know what's come over Nancy Curtis since you brats arrived at this
+place!"
+
+Then she examined the pile of harness, expressing her opinion very
+forcibly because Jack had laid them on the floor instead of hanging each
+set on pegs; but to find her own was more than she could do.
+
+"Take any one of them," she finally said in an angry tone, wiping the
+perspiration from her flushed face.
+
+Jack obeyed without a word, but, thanks to the efforts of Bill Dean and
+his partners, neither he nor Mrs. Souders could gear the horse.
+
+One set of harness was much too large, and another so small a goat could
+hardly have worn it, while all were strapped together in the oddest
+fashion.
+
+This Mrs. Souders believed was owing to Jack's carelessness or ignorance
+while unharnessing the horses, and the more she struggled to fit one
+without regard to ownership the greater became her anger, until it was
+almost beyond bounds.
+
+"My husband shall hear of this," she said wrathfully. "Put that horse
+right back, and he will come over to undo your wicked tricks. Don't
+speak to me, you little pauper," she cried as the cripple was about to
+reply; and dealing him a blow on the ear which sent him reeling against
+the animal, the lady walked rapidly out of the barn.
+
+Jack rubbed the injured member an instant, looked about ruefully,
+wondering what could have happened to the harness, led the horse back to
+his place, and went out of the barn just in time to see Mrs. Souders
+sailing around the corner of the lane into the main road.
+
+He walked slowly to the house, arriving there as the guests had seated
+themselves at the table, and Aunt Nancy, who looked as if she had been
+crying, asked,--
+
+"Why didn't Mrs. Souders go with her team?"
+
+Jack told the story of the bewitched harness, adding in conclusion,--
+
+"I took every piece off as carefully as I knew how, and laid them on the
+floor, because there wasn't any pegs or nails to hang them on. Now it
+seems like as if nothing was right, an' in the whole lot we couldn't
+find a single thing which would fit."
+
+The guests looked at each other in surprise and alarm, probably thinking
+if Mrs. Souders didn't succeed in getting her team with the entire
+collection to choose from, their chances of leaving Aunt Nancy's save by
+walking were exceedingly slim.
+
+A flood of questions were poured forth on the hapless Jack, who could
+only repeat his former statement.
+
+The matter was now becoming so serious that Aunt Nancy's inviting meal
+no longer had sufficient charms to command their attention, and the
+entire party insisted on visiting the barn at once to ascertain for
+themselves the true condition of affairs.
+
+With the baby in her arms, Aunt Nancy led the way.
+
+Bill Dean and his friends, seeing the procession coming, were not at a
+loss to divine the meaning of this sudden exodus from the house.
+
+"This is gettin' too hot for us," Bill said in a whisper. "With all them
+old women around we'll be found for certain, an' the quicker we skin out
+of here the safer we'll be."
+
+His partners were of the same opinion, only a trifle more frightened,
+and their terror caused them to do a very foolish thing.
+
+Instead of crawling under shelter of the grass until they were at a safe
+distance, Sam and Jip leaped to their feet, running at full speed toward
+the road.
+
+As a matter of course Bill was bound to follow the example, thinking how
+pleased he would be to have his hands on Jip for a single moment in
+order to punish him for his cowardice, and thus the conspirators stood
+revealed.
+
+"I think we can understand now what has happened to the harness," Mrs.
+Hayes said as she pointed towards the fugitives, "and I for one say it's
+time that Dean boy was made to believe it is dangerous to play such
+tricks."
+
+The red spots came on Aunt Nancy's cheeks again as she gazed after the
+retreating figures, and from the nervous working of her fingers Jack
+understood she was using every effort to "rule her spirit."
+
+As she stood silent and motionless, heeding not the fact that Louis was
+pulling her ringlets out of shape, some of the other ladies continued on
+to the barn, and a single glance at the mismated harness convinced them
+it was useless to attempt straightening matters.
+
+"It is foolish to stand here while the biscuit are getting cold," Mrs.
+Hayes finally said. "Let us go and get supper, after which there will be
+plenty of time to think over what should be done."
+
+The majority of the party shared this opinion, and Aunt Nancy was
+literally led back to her own home, while the guests divided their
+attention between the bountiful supper and a discussion as to how Bill
+Dean and his associates could best be suppressed.
+
+None of the party had had more than three cups of tea when Mr. Souders
+arrived looking very warm because of his long walk, and decidedly angry
+in consequence of the report made by his wife.
+
+He first demanded an interview with Jack, who was sitting in the kitchen
+fully occupied with his mournful thoughts; but when the ladies began to
+explain matters relative to the mischief done, he could not but believe
+the hunchback was innocent of the charges brought against him by Mrs.
+Souders.
+
+"I'll take Bill Dean in hand myself," he said with an ominous gesture.
+"There is plenty of time for that; but I reckon fixing things in the
+barn will last longer. Can you lend me the cripple for a while, Aunt
+Nancy?"
+
+The little woman called Jack, explained that he was to assist the
+gentleman, and as the two went toward the barn she said feelingly,--
+
+"It makes very little difference what people may say, although I would
+rather have the good will of a dog than his ill will; but if I can
+prevent it that boy shall not leave this farm unless relatives come
+forward to claim him."
+
+Several united with Aunt Nancy in praising Jack, and since the others
+remained silent there was no opportunity for a disagreeable argument.
+
+It did not require many seconds for Mr. Souders to see that the harness
+had been tampered with, and he said in a cheery tone, which was a
+delightful contrast to the one used a short time previous by his wife,
+as he pulled off his coat,--
+
+"I reckon you an' I have a big contract ahead of us, my boy. It would
+puzzle a lawyer to fix all these as they should be, and the most we can
+hope for is to put the sets together so the old women may go home. We'll
+begin with mine, an' see what can be made of the job."
+
+It was a long and tedious task, and before it had been half completed
+Jack was so well pleased with the gentleman that he said
+confidentially,--
+
+"Mr. Souders, I don't want you to think I tried to insult your wife. It
+was an accident which I couldn't prevent, an' you see for yourself I
+wasn't to blame for this muss."
+
+"Don't worry about it, my boy. Mother is a leetle hot-headed with a
+powerful dislike to youngsters 'cause she hain't got any of her own; but
+I'll venter to say she's sorry as a cat this very minute for what's been
+said an' done. If you knowed her little ways you wouldn't mind anything
+about it; but I'm put out to think she laid her hands on a poor cripple
+like you."
+
+"It wasn't that which made me feel so bad as to have her think I would
+act mean."
+
+"She don't believe a word of what she said by this time, an' for that
+I'll go bail. There's no use talkin' 'bout it now; I allow you'll see
+her ag'in mighty soon. Have you been havin' a great deal of trouble with
+Bill Dean?"
+
+Jack was not disposed to tell very much lest it should be thought he was
+complaining; but Mr. Souders finally succeeded in drawing from him a
+full account of the threats made.
+
+"You sha'n't be troubled any more, my boy, that I'll answer for. Bill is
+pretty wild, but I reckon we can tame him down a bit before another day
+goes by."
+
+"I wouldn't like any of the fellows to say I'd been carryin' tales,
+sir."
+
+"Neither have you. Aunt Nancy's life is bein' worried pretty nigh out of
+her, an' that's enough to give me a right to interfere."
+
+Jack did not think it proper to tell anything more regarding his
+experiences with the village boys, and, as a matter of fact, would have
+preferred saying nothing whatever to Mr. Souders until he had talked
+with Aunt Nancy.
+
+Before the gentleman left the barn he so far sorted out the harness that
+it was possible to gear up his own team, and Jack thought best to get
+each one ready while he had the opportunity to call upon such a valuable
+assistant.
+
+When the two returned to the house the supper was ended, and one of the
+ladies held Louis in her arms while Aunt Nancy and several of the guests
+washed the dishes.
+
+Then Jack milked old crumple-horn, and when the last of the visitors
+departed all of the chores had been done, therefore nothing prevented he
+and Aunt Nancy from discussing the events of the day.
+
+"I can't say I'm sorry William Dean cut up as he did," the little woman
+said, "for it has given Mr. Souders a chance to see what he really would
+do, and there is reason to believe the boy will be obliged to mend his
+ways."
+
+Jack had very little interest in Bill Dean at that moment.
+
+He was thinking only of the conversation he heard from the "fore-room,"
+and had determined the matter should be settled finally before he
+retired.
+
+"It seems as if most of the folks think I oughtn't to stay here makin'
+you feed me," he began.
+
+"Bless my soul, what has put that idea into your head, my child?"
+
+"I heard what Mrs. Souders said in the front-room before supper."
+
+Aunt Nancy looked around quickly as a shade of displeasure passed over
+her face.
+
+"I'm sorry you did hear it, Jack dear; but you must not be so foolish as
+to let it worry you. I am old enough to attend to my own affairs, and,
+even if I wasn't, Sarah Souders is not the one to whom I should go for
+advice."
+
+"But, Aunt Nancy, my being here makes trouble for you with your
+neighbors, and I have been thinking it would be better for Louis an' I
+to go away at once."
+
+"Your being here has very little to do with the trouble I may have. It
+is my own wicked self. I began by telling a lie to that man from
+Scarborough, and one sin surely leads to others. You are of great
+assistance to me, and I should be more sorry than I can say if you went
+away."
+
+Jack was about to make some reply, but before the words could be spoken,
+Aunt Nancy checked him by laying her hand on his shoulder as she said,--
+
+"Don't argue the matter, Jack dear. We are all tired enough to go to
+bed, and we'll make ready by searching the house again. After what has
+happened since noon it wouldn't surprise me the least little mite, if we
+found half a dozen burglars in hiding."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+
+BROTHER ABNER.
+
+
+When Jack retired on this night he was far from feeling comfortable in
+mind.
+
+Aunt Nancy had literally obliged him to cease speaking of the matter,
+and during the evening devotions prayed so fervently that she might be
+forgiven for acting a lie, it really distressed him.
+
+She had done it solely for him, and he felt personally responsible for
+her mental trouble.
+
+It caused the little woman great anxiety as he could well understand
+from the fact that she referred to the subject very frequently, and
+never ceased to sue for pardon.
+
+As has been said, Jack did not think the little woman did any great
+wrong; but since she believed it, the case was as serious to her as if a
+deadly crime had been committed.
+
+He remained awake a long while trying to decide what should be done, and
+more than once was he tempted to run the risk of calling upon Farmer
+Pratt to explain all the circumstances, in order to relieve Aunt Nancy's
+mind.
+
+To do this would be, as he firmly thought, neither more nor less than
+voluntarily condemning himself to the poor farm; but Louis would be safe
+from the ignominy, and he would be doing the little woman a very great
+favor.
+
+He had decided upon nothing when sleep visited his eyelids, and on the
+following morning there was so much to be done around the house he could
+not find any opportunity to study the subject.
+
+Aunt Nancy believed it necessary to clean nearly every portion of the
+house, and as a matter of course he assisted.
+
+Louis was really neglected on this day. Having been allowed to play on
+the floor to his heart's content, neither his crooked guardian nor Aunt
+Nancy paid very much attention to him.
+
+Not until late in the afternoon was the labor brought to a close, and
+then the tired ones sought rest under the big oak.
+
+Jack was about to broach the subject which occupied the greater portion
+of his thoughts, when the rumble of wheels at the end of the lane caused
+him to look up in alarm.
+
+"Who is that?" he asked excitedly, fearing lest it might be a messenger
+from Farmer Pratt.
+
+"Only Deacon Downs. He sometimes stops on his way home from Treat's
+store to see if anything is needed. I buy a good many vegetables of
+him."
+
+On this occasion the deacon had not called for any such purpose.
+
+He reined in his horse near where Aunt Nancy was sitting, and, refusing
+her invitation to "get out and visit," unbuttoned his coat in a
+deliberate manner, saying slowly as he did so,--
+
+"I found this 'ere for you down to Treat's, an' kinder 'lowed you'd be
+wantin' it."
+
+Then fully a moment more was spent before the article referred to was
+produced, and, meanwhile, Aunt Nancy was in a mild state of excitement
+through curiosity.
+
+"Something for me? What is it, Deacon?"
+
+"Wait till I find the pesky thing. I put it in this pocket so there
+shouldn't be any chance of losin' it, an' now I wouldn't be surprised if
+it had slipped out."
+
+Aunt Nancy came close to the wagon watching the old gentleman's every
+movement, her face expressing the liveliest impatience; but the visitor
+did not gratify her curiosity until having found that for which he
+sought.
+
+"Here it is," he said, as he handed her a letter, "an' seein's how it's
+stamped Binghamton, I wouldn't be surprised if it was from Abner, for I
+don't reckon you know anybody but him in York State, Nancy?"
+
+"Of course it's from Abner, and you gave me almost a shock, Deacon, for
+I couldn't imagine what you had found of mine."
+
+"I don't allow there's any bad news, eh?" and the visitor waited as if
+expecting Aunt Nancy would open the letter at once.
+
+"It's only in regard to some business, Deacon," the little woman replied
+in a tone which told she did not intend to read the missive until she
+should be alone.
+
+"I don't reckon he's thinkin' of comin' here this summer?"
+
+"Dear me, no. Abner's getting too old to go gallivantin' 'round the
+country very much, an' it's a powerful long journey from here to York
+State."
+
+"You're right, Nancy; but you know Abner allers was a master hand at
+travellin'."
+
+Then the deacon, despairing of getting a glimpse of the letter, urged
+the aged horse into a slow trot, and the occupants of the Curtis farm
+were alone once more.
+
+"The deacon is a real obliging neighbor," Aunt Nancy said as the rumble
+of wheels died away in the distance, "but terribly inquisitive. He
+thought I would read Abner's letter so he'd know what was going on, and
+perhaps I might have done so if it hadn't been concerning your business,
+which should be kept to ourselves."
+
+"Do you s'pose he has found out anything about Louis's father?" Jack
+asked, eager to learn the contents of the letter, but not feeling at
+liberty to hurry the little woman.
+
+"I don't think there is any doubt about it"; and Aunt Nancy tore open
+the envelope with a slowness and deliberation which was almost
+provoking.
+
+During the next five minutes Jack waited impatiently to hear "brother
+Abner's" reply; but nothing was said until the letter had been read
+carefully twice over, and then Aunt Nancy exclaimed as she took off her
+spectacles,--
+
+"Well, I declare!"
+
+"Does he know the captain?"
+
+"He's never heard of him! It's so surprising when I think of how many
+people he used to be acquainted with when he lived here."
+
+"What does he say about it?"
+
+"Nothing of any consequence, and writes as if he was provoked because I
+asked the question. Wants to know how I suppose he can find a man who
+was exploded in a vessel at sea; and I can't say but there is
+considerable good sense in his asking that, for of course when the ship
+blowed to pieces that settled the whole thing."
+
+"But the captain might have been saved, and, besides, while we were in
+sight the 'Atlanta' looked whole and sound as before the explosion."
+
+"But if she didn't go to pieces why hasn't the captain come after his
+son?"
+
+This was a question which Jack could not answer, and had to remain
+silent.
+
+"According to Abner's story, he don't know many of the York State folks
+except them as lives in Binghamton. Perhaps he's settling down, and
+isn't as newsy as when he was with me."
+
+"If he can't help us, what are Louis an' I to do?"
+
+"Stay here, of course."
+
+"But, Aunt Nancy, I must try to find Louis's relations, even if his
+father and mother are dead."
+
+"I reckon you're bound to do that somehow; but there's no sense in
+trying to walk to New York while the weather is so hot."
+
+Then the little woman, as if believing the matter had been finally
+settled, began to speak of the subject which was very near her heart,
+and for at least the hundredth time Jack was forced to listen to her
+lamentations because of the equivocation when Farmer Pratt called.
+
+It was particularly hard for him to remain quiet during her
+self-accusations, for now that it was useless to expect "brother Abner"
+could do anything in the way of learning the details concerning the fate
+of the good ship "Atlanta," it seemed in the highest degree important to
+decide upon some course of action.
+
+He was well content to stay where he was a certain time; but it seemed
+as if he should have at least some idea of what was to be done in the
+future.
+
+Aunt Nancy did not give him an opportunity to discuss the matter,
+however, and when the hour came to search the house for supposed
+burglars he was in a fine state of perplexity.
+
+On the following morning it seemed as if the little woman had dismissed
+all such thoughts from her mind, for whenever she spoke to Jack it was
+upon anything rather than how he might best accomplish that which he
+believed to be his duty.
+
+He noticed she was particularly tender toward Louis, and gave him an
+unusual amount of attention when she thought he and she were alone.
+
+It was on this day Mrs. Souders called, and during fully half an hour
+was closeted with Aunt Nancy, after which she met Jack in the yard when
+her greeting was more than cordial, but never a word was spoken in
+reference to the incidents of the day she allowed anger to overcome
+judgment.
+
+Since Jack had not expected anything in the way of an apology, he was
+agreeably surprised by the change in her manner toward him, and felt
+that ample reparation had been made.
+
+What the lady may have said to Aunt Nancy will never be known, for the
+little woman maintained the most perfect secrecy regarding it, despite
+the fact that Jack questioned her as closely as he dared.
+
+It was on the evening of this day when they were sitting under the old
+oak, and Louis was playing in front of them, that Bill Dean walked
+boldly into the yard, accosting Aunt Nancy as if he and she were on the
+most friendly terms.
+
+Jack was so thoroughly surprised that he experienced the sensation of
+one who has suddenly been plunged into cold water, for the assurance of
+the boy was more than he could understand until Master Dean handed Aunt
+Nancy a printed circular, as he said,--
+
+"I've been hired to carry these around, an' I know you allers go to camp
+meetin', so I stopped here first. I s'pose you think I'm kinder tough;
+but them as come here lookin' for jobs without wantin' to work ain't so
+good as you believe they are."
+
+"I don't intend to argue with you, William; but you know very well I
+have good reason to feel harsh toward you."
+
+"Why, what have I done?" and Bill looked as innocent as a lamb.
+
+"It would be better if you asked what you haven't done," and the little
+woman spoke in the most severe tone. "In the first place you drove away
+a well-disposed boy last summer, and are now trying to do the same by
+poor little crippled Jack."
+
+"I don't see how you can say sich a thing, Aunt Nancy"; and Bill assumed
+an injured expression.
+
+"Didn't you mix up the harness when the circle met here, and didn't you
+try to drown the baby?"
+
+"Me drown a baby?" Bill cried in a horrified tone.
+
+"Yes, it was you and your friends who carried him to the duck pond and
+set him adrift on a raft."
+
+"Now, Aunt Nancy, it ain't right to talk agin me in this way"; and a
+stranger would have said that Bill was on the point of crying.
+
+"Why, William Dean, I saw you running away!"
+
+"I ain't sayin' you didn't; but that's nothin' to do with the baby. When
+I came across the field he was at the pond, an' I didn't know what he
+might do to my raft. Before I got up to him he was sailin' like all
+possessed, an' when you came I run away for fear you'd want me to wade
+in after him."
+
+Aunt Nancy's eyes opened wide in astonishment at this marvellous story,
+and while she felt convinced it was false, she would not accuse him of
+telling a lie without having something in the way of evidence against
+him.
+
+"At least I know you fought with Jack because he wouldn't promise to go
+away," she said after quite a long pause.
+
+Louis's guardian tried to prevent this last remark by a look, but was
+unsuccessful, and Bill replied boldly,--
+
+"There ain't any use sayin' I didn't, 'cause it's true; but us fellers
+only was doin' what we had a right."
+
+"What do you mean by that?"
+
+"Why, we've got a license from the s'lectmen to do all the chores 'round
+this neighborhood, an' had to pay a mighty big price for it. Do you
+s'pose we'll let any other fellers come in an' take the bread an' butter
+outer our mouths after we've scraped the cash together to pay the town
+tax for that kind of business?"
+
+This statement was rather more than even Aunt Nancy could credit, and
+she said quite sharply,--
+
+"William Dean, I won't have you standing there telling such wrong
+stories! You must think I'm a natural born idiot to listen."
+
+"It's the truth all the same, and if Hunchie don't clear out he won't
+get along very easy. Good by, Aunt Nancy, I s'pose I'll see you at camp
+meetin', for all the old maids will be there."
+
+Bill did not linger in the lane after this last remark, but went quickly
+out into the highway, leaving the little woman literally gasping with
+surprise and indignation.
+
+"It's no disgrace to be an old maid," she said when it was once more
+possible for her to speak; "but I won't have an impudent boy like
+William Dean throwing it in my face as if it was something to be
+ashamed about."
+
+"I wouldn't pay any 'tention to him," Jack replied consolingly. "You're
+nicer than any woman _I_ ever saw, an' he'd be only too glad if you was
+as much of a friend to him as you are to me."
+
+Aunt Nancy leaned over and kissed the little cripple on the forehead as
+she said in a low tone,--
+
+"You are a good boy, Jack dear, and would be a great comfort to me if we
+were never to part until the good God calls me home."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI.
+
+A HURRIED DEPARTURE.
+
+
+It was not until the following morning that Aunt Nancy paid any
+particular attention to the circular regarding camp meeting which Bill
+Dean had brought.
+
+Then, as Jack came in from milking, she said with a suddenness which
+caused the boy to start in surprise,--
+
+"I have been thinking about the camp meeting. What is your opinion?"
+
+"I don't know what you mean."
+
+"You remember the paper which William Dean brought last night?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"Well, it was the time-table of the trains which run to the grounds.
+Somehow your coming upset me so I had forgotten all about the meeting,
+and if I should miss it, it would be the first time since I was quite a
+young girl."
+
+"When does it begin?"
+
+"Day after to-morrow."
+
+"Why don't you go? I can stay here an' take care of crumple-horn and
+Louis well enough."
+
+"Bless you, child, I wouldn't think of leaving you alone three or four
+days."
+
+"Would you be gone as long as that?"
+
+"A great many stay the whole week, and I did one year; but it was almost
+too tedious."
+
+"Well, both of us couldn't be away at the same time, an'--"
+
+"Why not?"
+
+"Because the cow must be milked an' put in the barn."
+
+"Daniel Chick's daughters have always done that for me, and would
+again."
+
+"But what about Louis?"
+
+"I have been wondering whether I couldn't take him with me."
+
+"It would be terrible hard work to lug a baby 'round all the time."
+
+"If you went I should be relieved of the greater portion of that care."
+
+"It seems as if you had pretty nigh made up your mind already."
+
+"There is only one thing which prevents me, and I can't figure it out,"
+the little woman said with an air of anxiety.
+
+"What is it?" Jack asked in surprise.
+
+"I don't know that it is prudent to spare the money. You see it won't be
+long now before the summer boarders come, and it costs a great deal to
+get ready for them."
+
+Jack could make no reply. This was a question about which he was
+ignorant, and there was a certain hesitation on his part regarding the
+discussion of such a subject when he could do nothing to forward the
+matter by pecuniary aid.
+
+No more was said until after breakfast, when Mrs. Hayes came in, looking
+excited and breathless.
+
+"Haven't you done anything about going to camp meeting, Nancy Curtis?"
+she cried, as she swung the big rocking-chair around and would have sat
+on Louis had not Jack called her attention to the fact by pulling the
+baby from his dangerous position.
+
+"I was just speaking about it, but don't know as I shall go."
+
+"But you must, Nancy. The children can stay at my house."
+
+"If I went they would go with me," the little woman replied, in a tone
+which told she was not willing to discuss that question.
+
+"Very well, there is nothing to prevent. Daniel Chick will take his big
+tent, and he says you're welcome to use as much of it as you want."
+
+"He is very good, I'm sure."
+
+"And you'll go, of course? It wouldn't seem like a camp meeting if you
+wasn't there; and, besides, we always look to you for the coffee. Deacon
+Downs says it's one of the pleasures of the week to drink Aunt Nancy's
+Mocha."
+
+"I do try to get the best, and when that has been done any one can make
+it good," the little woman said as her withered cheeks flushed with
+pleasure at the compliment, while never for a moment did she fancy this
+praise might have been given only that she should supply the occupants
+of the tent with their morning beverage.
+
+"Then it is settled, you will go?" and Mrs. Hayes arose to her feet. "I
+can't stop a minute, but felt I must run over to find out if you'd begun
+preparations."
+
+"I haven't, and whether you see me there or not depends. I will let you
+know to-morrow."
+
+"But you must go, because we won't take no for an answer."
+
+Aunt Nancy shook her head as if to say the matter was very uncertain,
+and the visitor took her departure, insisting that the townspeople
+"couldn't get along without their coffee maker."
+
+"I'm sure I don't know what to do," the little woman said with a
+long-drawn sigh when she and Jack were alone.
+
+"If you haven't money enough, why not leave me an' Louis here alone?
+I'll be awful careful with the house, an' there can't any accident
+happen."
+
+"I'm not afraid to trust you, Jack dear; but as I told Mrs. Hayes, it
+isn't to be thought of for a minute."
+
+"Ain't there some way I might earn the money?"
+
+"Bless you, no, child. Even if I was willing you should do such a thing,
+there isn't any time. The most expensive part of it is that I have
+always furnished the coffee for all in the tent, and it does take a
+powerful lot to go around. Why, Deacon Downs himself can drink three
+cups of a morning, an' then look around sort of wishfully for another. I
+always give it to him, too, if there's enough left in the pot."
+
+Jack felt very badly because he could do nothing toward helping the
+little woman out of her difficulty, while Louis laughed and crowed as if
+he thought the whole affair decidedly comical.
+
+Aunt Nancy bustled around the house performing a great deal of
+unnecessary work, her forehead knitted into a frown which showed she
+was thinking the matter over in the most serious fashion, and Jack
+watched her every movement.
+
+Finally the problem was solved, for her face lighted up as, taking Louis
+in her arms and seating herself in the rocking-chair, she said
+cheerily,--
+
+"I don't think William Dean would attempt to make trouble for you now,
+Jack dear."
+
+"Neither do I. Mr. Souders probably scolded him for mixin' up the
+harness, and he won't bother me."
+
+"Do you feel quite certain of that?"
+
+"Indeed I do."
+
+"Then would it be too much of a walk for you to go to Treat's store?"
+
+"Of course it wouldn't, Aunt Nancy. You've only to say the word, an'
+I'll be off like a shot."
+
+Jack had seized his hat as he spoke, and appeared to be on the point of
+rushing away without waiting for the message, when she stopped him by
+saying,--
+
+"There's no need of such haste. It will take me some time to fix the
+errand so you can do it. Last season Daniel Chick farmed the back field
+for me on shares, and I have quite a lot of wheat on hand. Mr. Treat
+wanted to buy it, and now I'm going to accept his offer. In case he
+still wants it, you must bring back some things from the store."
+
+"Am I to get the coffee?"
+
+"No, that would be too large a bundle. I'll write Mr. Treat a letter,
+and the remainder of the business you can arrange."
+
+Jack was delighted at being able to do something toward settling the
+vexed question, and waited very impatiently for the little woman to make
+her preparations.
+
+This was quite a long task because a letter was to be written, and after
+that a list of articles prepared; but finally Aunt Nancy completed the
+work, and Jack set off at full speed with a generous supply of bread and
+butter in a neatly tied parcel.
+
+He returned before she fancied he could have more than gotten there, and
+brought with him the goods required.
+
+"Mr. Treat says he'll tell Daniel Chick to haul the wheat, and you shall
+know how much there is as soon as it can be weighed. If you want
+anything more you shall send for it."
+
+"Did he say I could have some money?" Aunt Nancy asked anxiously.
+
+"He told me to tell you to call on for cash or goods up to thirty
+dollars, for he was certain it would amount to as much as that."
+
+"Then everything will be fixed without any trouble, and I will tell Mrs.
+Hayes we shall go to the camp meeting. Now, Jack dear, lie down a little
+while and get rested so you can help me. We must do a great deal of
+cooking before to-morrow night."
+
+During the remainder of the afternoon and the day following, the
+household was in as great a state of confusion and excitement as when
+arrangements were being made for the sewing circle.
+
+Aunt Nancy, assisted by Jack, cooked provisions sufficient to have kept
+a much larger family in food fully two weeks; but the little woman
+explained she "never liked to go to camp meeting without having
+something to give those who might come hungry."
+
+The neighbors, and, more particularly, Deacon Downs, had called to
+ascertain if "the coffee maker" was really going, and Daniel Chick
+promised to come for her with his wagon at an early hour the following
+morning.
+
+The deacon agreed to attend to the transportation of the Mocha, and on
+the evening before the journey was to be made everything appeared to be
+in "apple-pie order," although to Aunt Nancy's eyes the house was far
+from being in a proper condition.
+
+Jack was both tired and excited.
+
+The prospect of going to a camp meeting pleased him wonderfully, for he
+had never attended one, and fancied it was something intended for sport
+rather than anything serious.
+
+The baskets were packed; Louis's suit of white clothes stiff with starch
+and without a blemish; Jack's boots were polished until they shone like
+a mirror; and Aunt Nancy spent considerable time bewailing the fact that
+she could not afford to buy him a new coat and pair of trousers.
+
+Not until late was the little woman ready to retire, and it appeared to
+Jack as if he had just fallen asleep when she awakened him to milk the
+cow.
+
+After feeding the animal it seemed as if a very long time would elapse
+before it would be possible for him to do the same again, and he patted
+her sleek sides affectionately as he explained that one of Mr. Chick's
+daughters would take his place during the next three or four days.
+
+It isn't very likely the animal understood what he said, but she was
+perfectly willing to part with him, since it was to exchange the stuffy
+barnyard for the cool, inviting pasture.
+
+The milk was strained and put out on the doorsteps for Miss Chick, since
+Aunt Nancy could not take it with her, and then a hurried breakfast was
+eaten. None too soon, either, for the meal had just been finished when
+Mr. Chick drove up, fretting considerably because the party were not
+ready to get into the vehicle instantly he arrived.
+
+Half a dozen times was Jack sent to make certain this door or that was
+fastened securely, and the owner of the wagon worked himself into a
+state of profuse perspiration before Aunt Nancy finally announced she
+was ready.
+
+Jack thoroughly enjoyed the ride to the depot, four miles away.
+
+The odor of the flowers and grasses was heavy on the cool air; the birds
+sang their hymns of thanksgiving that the new day had come; and the
+trees whispered together of the goodness of the Creator in making for
+his creatures such a beautiful place in which to live.
+
+"It seems almost wicked to enjoy a scene like this when there are so
+many poor people who never see the country from one year's end to
+another," Aunt Nancy said, as she looked around in delight; and Mr.
+Chick replied, speaking much as if he had a cold in his head,--
+
+"It's for us to take all the enjiment that comes in this world, an'
+leave others to bear the burdens which are put upon them."
+
+"If that is good doctrine, Daniel Chick, I'd like to know how you'd
+fancied a dose of it when you was down with the rheumatiz an' depended
+upon the neighbors to gather the crops?"
+
+"That was a different matter, Nancy Curtis."
+
+"In what way?"
+
+"Well, you see--I--I--p'rhaps I can't explain it so's you an' the
+children can understand; but there was a difference."
+
+"Only because you can't put yourself in the situation of others. The
+Golden Rule is good enough for me yet, and I don't think I'll change it
+for yours."
+
+This brief conversation had no effect on Jack, nor would he have thought
+it an important matter if Mr. Chick had attempted to prove the little
+woman was wrong. His faith in Aunt Nancy was so great that whatever she
+said was to him a truth not to be disputed.
+
+On arriving at the depot it was learned they were fully an hour too
+early for the train, and Jack mourned the fact that he might have
+remained at home long enough to put the barn in better order.
+
+It was a large party who intended to make the journey on this morning,
+and to Jack's dismay he saw Bill Dean and his particular friends arrive
+about half an hour before the time for leaving.
+
+If it had been possible he would have remained out of sight; but the
+station was small, and Aunt Nancy insisted he should stand where she
+could keep her eyes on him, consequently it was not many moments before
+Master Dean recognized him.
+
+"Oh, dear! _is_ he going? and _must_ we be in fear and trembling of him
+all the time we stay?" Aunt Nancy said pathetically as she saw the three
+boys approaching. "Keep close to me, Jack dear, and if he attempts any
+mischief I'll appeal for help to Deacon Downs."
+
+Bill, however, did not intend to commit any overt act while there were
+so many around who would not hesitate about dealing out justice to him
+without delay.
+
+He contented himself by walking slowly around Aunt Nancy and Jack, as he
+said to Jip Lewis,--
+
+"I didn't think we stood so much of a chance to have a good time at camp
+meetin' this year. Here's Hunchie with the old maid, and we'll see that
+they don't get lonesome."
+
+Fortunately Aunt Nancy did not hear him, otherwise she might have said
+something which would have provoked further and louder threats.
+
+Jack, however, could distinguish every word, and before the three
+tormentors finished their promenade he regretted having accompanied the
+little woman.
+
+"I ain't afraid they'll get very much the best of me," he said to
+himself; "but there isn't goin' to be a great deal of fun if I've got to
+keep my eyes open for them all the time."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII.
+
+CAMP MEETING.
+
+
+When the train drew up at the station, Jack was relieved at seeing his
+tormentors take their places in a car far ahead of the one he and Aunt
+Nancy occupied.
+
+He anticipated no slight amount of enjoyment from this ride behind the
+iron horse, and it would be sadly marred if he was forced to listen to
+such remarks as Bill Dean and his friends would probably make.
+
+Aunt Nancy sat by the window with Louis in her arms, and Jack took the
+seat beside her, watching everything around with the most intense
+interest, for it was the first time he had ever journeyed so far on the
+cars.
+
+The little woman would have spent considerable of the money received
+from the sale of the wheat in buying for her crippled escort such
+articles as the newsboy brought, in the hope of tempting customers; but
+for the fact that Jack prevented her by whispering more than once,--
+
+"You've paid enough for me already in buyin' the railroad ticket, an'
+you must save some to get things for the summer boarders."
+
+"Bless you, child, I ought to be able to take a little pleasure now and
+then without thinking constantly of how many pennies there are in a
+dollar."
+
+"But this time, Aunt Nancy, you are not using it for yourself. If you
+want any of the stuff, why, it's only right you should have it, but
+don't buy anything for me."
+
+Then the little woman whispered as she laid her hand affectionately on
+his shoulder,--
+
+"It's a comfort to have you around, Jack dear, for you are always
+thinking of others and never of yourself."
+
+"A crooked feller like me don't need as much as other folks, an' I'm
+sure I get more'n I deserve."
+
+"That could never be, my child," Aunt Nancy replied; and Jack fancied
+she wiped a tear from her eye, but it might have been nothing more than
+a cinder.
+
+Judging from Louis's expressions of delight, he would have been pleased
+had the journey continued all day, and even Jack was a trifle
+disappointed because the tenting grounds were reached so soon.
+
+The place at which they disembarked was not a village, but only a grove
+of pine-trees bordering the ocean, with a broad strip of shimmering
+white sand between the foliage and the water.
+
+It was a little settlement of canvas houses among the pines, the
+gleaming white showing vividly amid the sober green, and the dusty paths
+here and there resembling yellow ribbons laid on to complete the harmony
+of color.
+
+Jack would have remained a long while silent and motionless gazing in
+delight at the scene before him, now and then raising his eyes to view
+the heaving emerald bosom of the sea beyond, but that Aunt Nancy was
+impatient to "settle down" before the morning services should begin.
+
+"It looks pretty, I know, Jack dear, but we mustn't stand dawdling here,
+because there is considerable work for us to do. I'll carry the baby,
+and you see what can be done with the bundles."
+
+The two were literally laden to the utmost of their strength, as they
+stepped from the railway platform.
+
+Such generous supplies had the little woman brought for their bodily
+comfort that quite an amount of the belongings would have been left
+behind but for Deacon Downs, who kindly offered to take charge of the
+remainder of the goods.
+
+In order to find Mr. Chick's tent it was only necessary to follow the
+party with whom they had travelled, and in a few moments the little
+woman was arranging her provisions in one corner of the huge tent which
+had been reserved for her use.
+
+Jack hovered around helplessly.
+
+He wanted to do something toward aiding Aunt Nancy, but camp life was so
+new to him he could do nothing more than watch her bird-like movements.
+
+After pinning a towel around Louis's neck to avoid the possibility of
+soiling his white frock, the little woman gave him a small slice of
+bread and butter, offering some to Jack, but the latter was not hungry.
+
+"If you don't care, I'd rather go down to the beach a little while."
+
+"You shall do that later, Jack dear, but the morning services will
+commence very soon, and I want you with me then."
+
+"Will it be a reg'lar meetin' where people preach an' pray like they do
+in a church?"
+
+"Certainly, my child; and this is a church, for don't you remember it is
+said 'the groves were God's first temples'?"
+
+Jack didn't remember anything of the kind, for his education had been so
+sadly neglected he could not read any but the smallest words, therefore
+made no answer, and as soon as Louis had satisfied his hunger the three
+went to the cleared space where the services were to be held.
+
+Jack watched everything around him with intense interest, and, it must
+also be said, to such a degree that he failed to hear a single word
+spoken by the preacher.
+
+Aunt Nancy sat with a look of devotion on her face, which to Jack was
+very beautiful.
+
+After a time the boy saw the tears rolling down her cheeks, and listened
+to the words from the pulpit in order to learn what had caused such
+apparent sorrow.
+
+The clergyman was speaking of those who keep the word, but not the
+spirit of God's laws, and he failed to find in the teaching anything
+which could distress the little woman.
+
+When the sermon was concluded and the three were walking slowly through
+the grove, he understood better.
+
+"It seemed as if the minister was talking directly to me, Jack dear,"
+she said with quivering lips.
+
+"I didn't hear him say anything that sounded like it, Aunt Nancy, an' I
+listened a good deal of the time."
+
+"It was the passage about obeying the word but not the spirit which
+applied to my case. You see I didn't _speak_ a lie to Mr. Pratt, and
+might try to comfort myself with the idea I had not disobeyed the
+commandment; but the meaning of it is, I shouldn't deceive in the
+slightest manner."
+
+"I wish we hadn't come here if you're goin' to think of that thing
+again."
+
+"Again, Jack dear? Do you fancy it has ever been out of my mind?"
+
+"I thought you'd kinder got over it."
+
+"But I hadn't, and perhaps I was led to come here that I might realize
+even more fully what I have done."
+
+"There isn't any need of that, Aunt Nancy"; and Jack began to look
+distressed. "Please put it out of your thoughts for a while, an' we'll
+go down on the beach."
+
+"I can't, my child. You shall stroll around an hour, after which you
+must come back to the tent for dinner."
+
+Jack hardly thought he ought to leave the little woman while she was
+feeling badly, but she insisted on his doing so, and he walked slowly
+away saying to himself,--
+
+"I never knew religion hurt anybody; but I think Aunt Nancy has too much
+of it if she's goin' to fuss so over Farmer Pratt. It won't do to let
+her feel as she does, an' the whole amount of the story is I'll have to
+leave Louis here while I take the chances of gettin' into the poorhouse
+by explainin' things to him."
+
+So deeply engrossed was he in his thoughts that no attention was paid to
+anything around until he was brought to a standstill by hearing a
+disagreeably familiar voice cry,--
+
+"Hold on, Hunchie, we want to know where you left the old maid!"
+
+Jack had halted involuntarily, and now would have moved on again in the
+hope of escaping from Master Dean and his friends, but they barred his
+way by closing in upon him.
+
+There was a large crowd on the grounds surging to and fro, therefore the
+three boys had little difficulty in forcing Jack to move in this
+direction or that as they chose, by pretending the press was so great
+they could not prevent themselves from being pushed against him.
+
+"We're goin' down for a swim," Bill Dean said as he linked his arm in
+the hunchback's, "an' it'll just about break our hearts if you can't
+come with us."
+
+[Illustration: "We're goin' down for a swim," Bill Dean said, as he
+linked his arm in the hunchback's.--Page 210.]
+
+"I don't want to do anything of the kind. You know very well a crooked
+feller like me couldn't swim, no matter how hard he tried."
+
+"We'll show you how, so don't be frightened"; and Bill motioned for Sam
+and Jip to force the intended victim along in the desired direction.
+
+Jack knew perfectly well he could not struggle successfully against his
+tormentors, but at the same time he did not intend allowing them to take
+him away from the throng where he might find assistance if necessary.
+
+"I don't want to go with you, and shall ask some of these people to help
+me if you don't go away."
+
+"Then you'd only be makin' it all the hotter for yourself, 'cause we
+count on stayin' here the whole week, an' you can't be tied to the old
+maid's apron strings every minute of the time."
+
+"I'll take my chances of that, so keep off or I'll make a disturbance."
+
+Bill had good reason to believe the cripple would carry this threat into
+execution, and, not wishing to come in direct contact with the guardians
+of the peace, concluded to bring their sport to a close.
+
+"Of course if you don't feel like comin' nobody's goin' to make you, so
+we'll say good by."
+
+As he spoke he gave a quick twist of his foot in front of Jack, at the
+same instant Jip pushed from behind, and the result was the cripple fell
+forward on his face, in the gravel and sand.
+
+The three boys were off like a flash, and as Jack rose to his feet after
+some effort, with dusty clothes and a bleeding face, his heart was
+filled with anger.
+
+"If I was only strong enough I'd soon show them fellers what it is to
+pick on a fellow they thought couldn't help himself!"
+
+He had hardly said these words when a man brushed past him with the air
+of one who feels he has a right to considerably more than half the road,
+and looking up quickly Jack saw Farmer Pratt.
+
+For an instant he thought the man was pursuing him, and would have taken
+refuge in flight, had not the idea occurred to his mind that Mr. Pratt
+had come to camp meeting for the same purpose as Aunt Nancy.
+
+"I'm foolish to think he's still chasin' after me," he said to himself,
+"though I s'pose he would take Louis an' me with him if he saw us."
+
+Without knowing why he did it, Jack followed a short distance behind the
+farmer, as if it was necessary to retain him constantly in sight, and
+while doing so thought of Aunt Nancy's distress concerning the alleged
+lie.
+
+Now surely would be a good time to sacrifice his own comfort in order to
+ease her mind by taking upon his shoulders the blame, and he ran forward
+intending, for an instant, to speak with the gentleman.
+
+Then it occurred to him that it would be proper to consult the little
+woman first, and he turned back only to doubt again.
+
+It might distress Aunt Nancy yet more to know the farmer was on the
+grounds, and Jack wished he knew of some one who could give him the
+proper advice.
+
+Deacon Downs was the only person he could think of, and yet he ought not
+to tell him of what Aunt Nancy had done.
+
+"I've got to settle this thing myself," he said as he turned resolutely
+in the direction of the tent, "and the next thing to do is to talk with
+Aunt Nancy herself. She knows more goodness than all these people put
+together."
+
+His mind once made up, he was eager to reach the tent, and ran at full
+speed, arriving just as Deacon Downs summoned the occupants of this
+particular dwelling to dinner.
+
+The little woman was acting as cook, a post of duty to which she had
+been elected each year because the remainder of the party knew she would
+perform the arduous labors without complaint.
+
+To speak with her now would be to attract the attention of all, and Jack
+believed he should wait until a more convenient season.
+
+Therefore he seated himself at the rough table around which all the
+others, save Aunt Nancy, were gathered, and tried unsuccessfully to
+appear as if nothing unusual had occurred.
+
+Jack's face told of some trouble, however, and when the deacon had
+refreshed himself with a large cup of Aunt Nancy's Mocha, he asked in a
+severe tone,--
+
+"Master Dudley, is it possible that after living with as good a woman as
+Sister Curtis, you allow your passions to tempt you into fighting? Don't
+you remember what Dr. Watts says about letting 'dogs delight to bark and
+bite, for 'tis their nature,' et cetera?"
+
+Perhaps Jack might have understood the deacon's question, had it not
+been for the last word.
+
+What an "et cetera" was he hadn't the slightest idea, and instead of
+replying sat staring stupidly at his plate until Aunt Nancy came forward
+and asked,--
+
+"What is it about Jack? Has he been doing anything out of the way?"
+
+"By the appearance of his face I should say he had. It is strange boys
+will fight in such a place as this!"
+
+"Why, what _has_ happened to you, Jack dear?" the little woman asked
+anxiously as she lifted the boy's head by placing her hand under his
+chin.
+
+Jack said nothing, and Aunt Nancy asked, as the crimson spots appeared
+on her cheeks,--
+
+"Has William Dean been troubling you again?"
+
+"I had rather tell you some other time," Jack replied in a whisper, as
+he slipped down from his seat at the table and went toward the scene of
+the little woman's culinary operations.
+
+She followed him at once, and the good but rather inquisitive deacon
+craned his neck in vain to hear what passed between the two.
+
+"It was Bill Dean; but don't say anything about it now, for I've just
+seen Farmer Pratt," Jack said in a low tone; and as Aunt Nancy started
+in surprise, a cry of distress came from Deacon Downs's lips.
+
+At the moment Jack spoke, the little woman was in the act of removing
+the coffee pot from the stove, for fear its contents should boil over,
+when it fell to the ground.
+
+Neither Aunt Nancy nor the hunchback paid any attention to this
+catastrophe; but the deacon was so angry he even threatened that Jack
+should not be allowed near the tent again.
+
+It is doubtful if his words were heard by the two who were in such
+distress of mind.
+
+Aunt Nancy led Jack to the rear of the tent, and there, where no one
+could overhear, he told the whole story, concluding by saying,--
+
+"You have felt so bad I had a great mind to go right up an' tell him how
+it happened you acted a lie."
+
+"But, Jack dear, then he might drag you off to the poor farm."
+
+"I had rather do that than have you feel as you do about it. Louis could
+stay here, an' I wouldn't tell him where you were, no matter how hard he
+might try to make me."
+
+"I should go to him myself and confess all," the little woman said after
+a pause.
+
+"Then the chances are he'd get hold of both Louis an' me. If it is to be
+done, I oughter do it."
+
+"I declare I don't know what is best"; and Aunt Nancy stood with clasped
+hands as if expecting Jack would advise. "It is only right I should
+atone in some way for that which I did; but the flesh is indeed weak
+when it comes to parting with either of you."
+
+"Perhaps there might be some way for me to get clear, an' you'd feel so
+much better that I'd be contented to stay almost anywhere."
+
+The little woman made no reply; she remained silent so long Jack began
+to be afraid she was ill, and as he stood watching her, the notes of a
+song of praise to the Maker rose high above the deacon's querulous
+tones, while mingling with it was the murmur of the surf as it rolled up
+on the beach, the whole forming a sort of melody which was soothing to
+the little hunchback.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+A DISASTER.
+
+
+Not for several moments was Aunt Nancy able to decide what should be
+done, and then, as the song died away leaving only the deacon's words to
+mingle with the reverberation of the surf, she said in a voice which
+sounded strained and harsh,--
+
+"It must be done. You shall bring him here, and I will tell the story
+myself. When he comes, take Louis and walk down by the beach for a
+while."
+
+The little woman could say no more, for at that moment Deacon Downs
+asked in his blandest tones,--
+
+"Do you think it would be possible to make a leetle more coffee, Sister
+Curtis?"
+
+Aunt Nancy had never been known to refuse a request which involved only
+her own discomfort or labor, and on this occasion there was no exception
+to the rule.
+
+"It will be ready in a few minutes, Deacon," she replied in a trembling
+voice, at the same time keeping her face turned from the party lest
+they should see the tears in her eyes.
+
+Jack understood there was no necessity of any further conversation,
+therefore walked slowly away, feeling very much like a fellow who
+voluntarily goes to receive unmerited punishment.
+
+He now had no fear of Bill Dean and his friends. The present trouble was
+so much greater than any they could cause him that it was as if this
+particular trio of boys never existed.
+
+Not until he had walked to and fro for half an hour did he begin to
+realize it might not be possible to find the farmer amid the throng.
+
+Each succeeding train brought additional worshippers or visitors to the
+grove, and the walks were so densely lined with people that he might
+have passed within ten feet of Mr. Pratt without seeing him.
+
+Having made up his mind to that which he considered a sacrifice, he was
+impatient to have it finished, and walked rapidly until the afternoon
+was more than half spent; but all in vain.
+
+It seemed more than probable he had gone home, or at least Jack so
+argued to himself, and returned to the tent looking as if suffering from
+some grievous disappointment.
+
+Aunt Nancy was at the flap of the canvas house with an expression of
+anxiety on her face, but the baby was nowhere to be seen.
+
+"Where's Louis?" Jack asked in alarm.
+
+"Mrs. Hayes is taking care of him. I thought it best he shouldn't be
+seen when Mr. Pratt came. Will he be here soon?"
+
+"I couldn't find him; he must have gone home."
+
+The little woman's face lighted up wonderfully as she cried,--
+
+"O Jack dear, I know it is wicked to say, but I am _so_ glad! It is only
+right I should bear the burden I myself have caused; but the thought of
+losing you and the baby almost broke my heart."
+
+Then she kissed him on both cheeks, and again did he feel the moisture
+of her tears.
+
+"Well, Aunt Nancy, you haven't lost us yet awhile, an' if Mr. Pratt has
+gone home that settles the matter for a while."
+
+"Yes, Jack dear, but the sin is yet to be atoned for; it is only a
+postponement of the evil day."
+
+"Any way there's no need of worryin' about it now. If, when we get home,
+you feel that he should know the truth, it won't be much of a job for me
+to walk over to his house, an' then," Jack added with a feeble attempt
+at a smile, "they won't have so far to carry me when I'm taken to the
+poor farm."
+
+"Don't talk in such a manner, my dear, for I am hoping it won't ever
+come to pass."
+
+Jack made no reply.
+
+He felt quite confident the farmer would insist on his going to the home
+for paupers, but no good could be done by further distressing the little
+woman.
+
+"I declare I'd entirely forgotten you and I have had no dinner," she
+suddenly said with a nervous laugh. "I'll get some cold meat and bread,
+if there is any left; but it is astonishing how strong people's
+appetites are at the seashore, especially during camp-meeting time. We
+must get along without coffee, for the deacon fairly swam in that second
+pot I made."
+
+"I don't feel so terribly hungry," Jack replied; "but I'll sit down for
+the sake of seeing you eat. As to the coffee, that don't trouble me;
+water is good enough for boys."
+
+"It is more wholesome I admit; but there's nothing good enough for a
+dear heart like yours."
+
+Then the little woman bustled around as Jack had seen her do at home,
+and in a few moments a most appetizing lunch was spread, the amount of
+food contradicting her fears that all the provisions had been consumed.
+
+The two made a hearty meal, considering all their troubles, and when it
+was concluded Jack helped Aunt Nancy set the tent to rights generally,
+so when the remainder of the party returned from afternoon services
+everything was in proper order.
+
+Mrs. Hayes brought Louis with her, and after delivering him to Jack she
+said with a sigh of relief,--
+
+"I declare, Sister Curtis, it is a real pleasure to come to camp meeting
+with you. It takes the care off of one entirely. I only wish I had your
+knack at going ahead. Now look at me; I'm almost worn out looking after
+the baby, and don't feel as if I could do a stitch toward getting
+supper."
+
+The other ladies in the party appeared to be in the same condition of
+prostration, and the little woman, tired though she was from the labor
+of preparing and serving dinner for so many, meekly replied that she was
+perfectly willing to give them a rest by performing all the work.
+
+Jack heard the compliment paid by Mrs. Hayes, and understood that it had
+been given only for the purpose of getting the little woman to continue
+on while the others enjoyed their leisure.
+
+"I'm goin' to help you, Aunt Nancy," he said in a low tone as he went
+toward the stove where she was making ready to bake some biscuit. "It's
+too bad for you to do all this work while the others are havin' a good
+time."
+
+"Oh, I don't mind it, dear, so long as I can be of service to some one.
+We are put in this world to help others, and it should be a pleasure."
+
+"But you're doin' all instead of helpin'. Now tell me what I can do, if
+you're bound to wait on the whole crowd."
+
+"Take care of the baby, that will be enough."
+
+"He'll stay around here all right," Jack replied as he placed the little
+fellow on the grass, giving him some smooth stones to play with.
+
+Then he set about assisting Aunt Nancy, working so industriously that
+Deacon Downs said in a tone of faint approbation,--
+
+"That there little hunchback seems right handy if he wants to, an' if he
+wasn't so given to fightin' it might be a good thing for Aunt Nancy to
+have him around; but when once a boy gets as quarrelsome as this one, it
+ain't much use trying to make anything out of him."
+
+The majority of the party were of the same opinion, and from that time
+forth it was believed, at least by those who were present when the
+deacon spoke, that Jack was a boy who would fight under the slightest
+provocation.
+
+Not until the bell had rung as a signal that the evening services were
+about to begin did Jack and Aunt Nancy cease their labors.
+
+The other occupants of the tent had already departed, and the little
+woman and her assistant were so tired it seemed almost too great an
+exertion to walk to the auditorium.
+
+"Why not go to bed?" Jack asked. "I'll take care of Louis until he gets
+sleepy, an' then bring him to you."
+
+"No, it would be wrong to remain here when so many truths will be
+presented, simply because I chance to be tired."
+
+"Then we'll all go"; and Jack lifted Louis in his arms.
+
+Aunt Nancy enjoyed the services so much that Jack was very glad she had
+come; but as for himself he believed the time would have been quite as
+profitably spent in sleeping.
+
+On the following morning at daybreak Deacon Downs aroused the hunchback
+with a harshly spoken command to build the fire and awaken Aunt Nancy
+when it was burning.
+
+"Are you goin' to make her do all the work?" Jack asked as he started to
+his feet.
+
+"Don't be impudent!" the deacon said sternly, raising his cane
+threateningly. "Learn to do as you are bidden, and in silence."
+
+Jack made no reply, but felt that the little woman whom he loved so
+dearly was being imposed upon.
+
+As for Aunt Nancy, she appeared to have no such idea.
+
+Jack awakened her as he had been told, and she arose from the bed of
+straw on which she had lain without undressing, uttering no word of
+protest.
+
+"I would have let you sleep till noon, but the deacon told me to, an'
+was kinder mad when I asked if you'd got to do all the work," Jack said,
+his tones proving there was yet anger in his heart.
+
+"You shouldn't have said anything about it, my dear, for it is a
+pleasure to me."
+
+"You try to think it is, but I know it's nothin' more than hard work,
+while the others are enjoying a long nap."
+
+"We won't say any more about it, Jack dear. Don't you think you could
+get me some water?"
+
+"Of course I can"; and Jack labored with a will, relieving the
+tired-looking little woman whenever it was possible.
+
+The second day at camp meeting was spent by these two in much the same
+manner as the first, as regards work, and Louis received very little
+attention.
+
+Jack, in obedience to Aunt Nancy's request, looked again for Mr. Pratt,
+but with no better success than before; and after dinner he washed the
+dishes in order that the little woman might attend the afternoon
+services.
+
+It was a decided relief to him when the day came on which they were to
+return home.
+
+He knew Aunt Nancy had worked too hard, and the bustle and confusion
+tired him almost as much as the labor.
+
+Gladly he helped gather up the empty baskets, and when the three were on
+the cars being whirled rapidly toward home, the little woman said with a
+sigh of relief,--
+
+"What a comfort it will be to find ourselves on the farm once more, Jack
+dear! I believe I am getting too old to go to such places, and a week's
+rest wouldn't be too much to make me feel like myself again."
+
+"If you had gone alone, without tryin' to run a boardin'-house for them
+who didn't care whether you had any fun or not, it would have been
+different."
+
+"You don't look at the matter in the proper light, my child. They've
+always been accustomed to having Aunt Nancy go at such times, and I
+couldn't disappoint them as long as I was able to hold up my head."
+
+Jack realized it was useless to continue this conversation, so far as
+convincing the little woman that she had been imposed upon was
+concerned, and he remained silent.
+
+Never before had the farm looked so beautiful, either to Jack or the
+little woman, as when they arrived home that night, and during the
+evening devotions Aunt Nancy's thankfulness was made apparent by the
+fervently spoken words.
+
+The hunchback's first care, after opening the house, was to visit the
+barn to assure himself old crumple-horn had been well taken care of; but
+he could not gain much information in the darkness.
+
+The animal was lying in her stall, and appeared to be in good condition.
+
+Notwithstanding the fact that the house had been closed four days, the
+search for burglars was made before retiring, and then Jack, after
+seeing Louis tucked snugly in Aunt Nancy's bed, went to his cosey little
+room feeling confident he would never again have any desire to attend
+another camp meeting.
+
+When the morning came he went out with a light heart to milk the cow,
+but to his great surprise still found her lying down.
+
+All in vain did he urge her to get up; she refused to move, nor would
+she pay any attention to the tempting lunch of sweet clover he placed
+in front of her.
+
+Running back to the house he summoned Aunt Nancy, and both spent fully
+an hour alternately coaxing and petting the animal.
+
+"She is very sick, Jack dear, there can be no question about that," the
+little woman said as her eyes filled with tears. "It would grieve me if
+she should die, for I have owned her a long while."
+
+"How many years?"
+
+"I hardly know; but it can't be less than eighteen."
+
+"Then she must be dying of old age."
+
+"I will go right over to Daniel Chick's and ask him to come here. He's a
+master hand at doctoring animals."
+
+Then before Jack could offer to go in her steady Aunt Nancy started down
+the lane bareheaded, which showed how deeply she felt the possible loss
+of her pet.
+
+In a short time Mr. Chick arrived with the little woman, and his verdict
+brought no relief to Aunt Nancy's heart.
+
+"All you can do is to knock her in the head, for she'll never get up
+again. It's kinder tough on you, I'll admit, for that cow has been a
+powerful help, 'specially when the summer boarders are here; but it
+won't do any good to fret."
+
+Aunt Nancy made no reply, but walked slowly to the house as if desirous
+of being alone.
+
+"She feels mighty bad I allow," Mr. Chick continued, speaking to Jack.
+"I've said many times I didn't know how Aunt Nancy would get along if it
+wasn't for the cow, an' now I reckon she'll be eatin' her bread without
+butter."
+
+"What will she do when the boarders come?"
+
+"That's what I don't know"; and Mr. Chick walked away as if he had no
+further concern in the matter.
+
+Jack sat down where he could watch crumple-horn and at the same time
+think over this disaster which had come to the little woman.
+
+While he was trying to form some plan, the poor old cow laid her head on
+the sweet-scented clover, gave a few short gasps, and ceased breathing
+as if from sheer weariness.
+
+Jack stood over her a moment, and then returned to the house, arriving
+there just as Aunt Nancy was emerging with Louis in her arms.
+
+"I wouldn't go out there"; and he motioned toward the barn.
+
+Aunt Nancy looked at him an instant, appearing to understand what he
+meant, for she re-entered the house, leaving Jack on the doorstep in a
+profound study.
+
+He could hear Louis's voice from the "fore-room" now and then, therefore
+it was not necessary to tell him the little woman had gone there to hide
+her grief.
+
+"I must do something" he said to himself, "an' what I first thought of
+seems to be the only show."
+
+Then going to the door of the "fore-room" and knocking gently, he said
+in a low tone,--
+
+"Aunt Nancy, could you spare me a little while?"
+
+"Where are you bound, Jack?"
+
+"I'd like to run down to Treat's store if you don't care."
+
+Aunt Nancy opened the door, and Jack noticed her eyes were red from
+weeping.
+
+"What is your idea of going there?" she asked in surprise.
+
+"I've got some business that I'd rather not explain till I get back."
+
+"There's nothing to prevent, my child, and I can trust you not to do
+anything wrong."
+
+"I should hope you could," Jack replied emphatically. "You shall know
+all about it when I come home."
+
+"Don't try to walk too fast, but return as soon as your business is
+finished."
+
+Jack promised to do so, and was hurrying up the lane when the little
+woman stopped him with these words:--
+
+"I wish you would call at Daniel Chick's and tell him what has happened.
+It will be necessary to bury poor old crumple-horn, and he must attend
+to it."
+
+"I'll ask him to come over right away"; and Jack resumed his journey,
+wondering whether he was on the point of doing that for which Aunt Nancy
+would censure him.
+
+"It doesn't make any difference whether she does or not," he said to
+himself. "If I told her she wouldn't let me go, so this is the only way
+to fix it."
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX.
+
+JACK'S PROPOSITION.
+
+
+Jack called at Mr. Chick's house, saw that gentleman and got his promise
+to bury old crumple-horn at once, after which he continued on past Bill
+Dean's home, fearing no trouble from him since he was yet at the camp
+grounds.
+
+On arriving at the store he found Mr. Treat alone, and was greeted with
+the question,--
+
+"Hello! Here's Aunt Nancy's young man! How's the old lady after her trip
+to the grove?"
+
+"She is well, but tired."
+
+"I'll warrant that. When folks want to go off for a good time they
+invite Nancy Curtis, reckonin' she'll do whatever work there is without
+grumblin', an' they ain't far out of the way, either. Did the deacon get
+his full share of that Mocha she bought?"
+
+"I don't know, sir; but I guess so, I didn't hear him findin' fault."
+
+"Then you can count on his havin' been filled up; _he_ don't buy very
+much of that kind of coffee when it's him as has to foot the bills."
+
+Jack had no interest in this subject, and changed it abruptly by
+saying,--
+
+"Aunt Nancy's cow died this mornin'."
+
+"Sho! How'd that happen?"
+
+"Mr. Chick thought it must be old age."
+
+"Well I reckon it was. That cow has been in the family quite a spell."
+
+"It'll be hard on Aunt Nancy not to have the milk."
+
+"I 'low you're 'bout right, sonny; it helped make up a good bit of the
+old woman's livin', an' she hasn't so much money but that a dollar makes
+a big difference."
+
+"That's true, an' I've come to see if I can't help her out in some way."
+
+"You?" and Mr. Treat looked up in surprise. "Why, I thought you hadn't
+any great amount of cash on hand."
+
+"And I haven't; but I thought perhaps I might make a trade with you."
+
+"Want to have a dicker of some kind, eh? Well, what have you got to show
+up?" and Mr. Treat selected from a pile of pine wood a convenient stick
+to whittle, as he assumed a more comfortable attitude preparatory to
+indulging in his favorite pastime of "dickering."
+
+"I haven't got anything, sir; but thought there might be work I could
+do around here till I'd earned enough to buy Aunt Nancy another cow."
+
+Jack stammered and hesitated until it was a positive pleasure both to
+himself and the storekeeper when the speech was finally ended.
+
+"What can you do?" Mr. Treat asked thoughtfully as he fashioned with
+infinite care the bit of wood into a toothpick.
+
+"Almost anything, sir. I'd be willin' to work very hard if I could get
+the job."
+
+"Have you got any idea what the jobs 'round here might be?"
+
+"It don't make any difference; I'm not afraid of bucklin' down to them."
+
+"How much do you count on earnin'?"
+
+"I want to get enough to buy a cow for Aunt Nancy."
+
+"Do you know what one is worth?"
+
+"No, sir."
+
+Mr. Treat was silent for a moment as if revolving some very weighty
+matter in his mind, and said slowly,--
+
+"I've got jest sich a cow as would suit Aunt Nancy; she's a good one,
+an' I wouldn't like to part with her for nothin'. Now, if you'd do the
+chores 'round here this summer, an' she would put in some of the money
+I owe for the wheat, we might strike a trade."
+
+"But I don't want her to pay anything."
+
+"Thought you could do it all yourself, eh?"
+
+"I hoped so," Jack replied in a tone of disappointment.
+
+"Why, I don't reckon you'd earn it in a year. I'd want forty dollars at
+the very lowest figger for my cow, an' it would take a mighty smart boy
+to git that much in twelve months."
+
+Jack could no longer conceal his feelings, and, seeing he was pained
+because of the failure of his plans, Mr. Treat continued in what he
+intended should be a soothing tone,--
+
+"I'd be willin' to allow you twenty dollars for a summer's work
+previdin' you'd board yourself at Aunt Nancy's. Then she'd only be
+called on to pay as much more, an' have twice as good a cow as the one
+that's dead."
+
+"How long do you say the summer should last?"
+
+"Well, I wouldn't be hard on you, an' we'd call it quits by the middle
+of November."
+
+"How much of that time would it be necessary for me to stay in the
+store?"
+
+"From five o'clock in the mornin' till nine at night, the same as is
+expected of other boys."
+
+It was the last blow to Jack's hopes. His duty to Louis would prevent
+him from remaining in this section of the country such a length of time,
+and it was essential he should assist Aunt Nancy in order to pay her for
+the food he and Louis consumed.
+
+"Well, what do you think of it?" Mr. Treat asked, as the boy stood
+irresolutely for a moment.
+
+"I couldn't because I can't stay here as long as that, and, besides, I
+must do something for Aunt Nancy to earn our board."
+
+"That's right, my boy. There's no harm done because we didn't make a
+trade; but it shows I'm willin' to help along all I can in a case like
+this."
+
+"I'm much obliged to you," Jack replied faintly, and then he started up
+the road once more, walking decidedly faster than when he came.
+
+He had counted on being able to ease the sorrow in Aunt Nancy's mind by
+buying for her a cow as good as the one she had lost.
+
+He was revolving in his mind half a dozen plans by which the desired
+result might be attained, when a voice from the opposite side of the
+road caused him to halt.
+
+"How's Aunt Nancy by this time?"
+
+It was Mr. Souders who spoke, and because that gentleman had been so
+kind to him on the day when the sewing circle met at the little woman's
+house, he decided to tell him the whole story, not from any expectation
+of receiving assistance, but in order to relieve his mind.
+
+Mr. Souders listened attentively to all he had to say, and then
+replied,--
+
+"Treat was trying to swindle you. His cow isn't worth ten dollars, to
+say nothing of forty, an' he wasn't over an' above anxious to give you
+too much for your work. Let the matter drop a couple of days an' I'll
+see what can be done. We mustn't allow Aunt Nancy to suffer."
+
+There was a world of encouragement in the gentleman's tones, and Jack
+felt as if half his troubles had already been removed.
+
+"I'm willin' to do anything I can towards earnin' the money to buy one;
+but Louis an' I mustn't stay here till November, an' I don't want her to
+use her own money."
+
+"That will be all right, my lad. Go home now, an' I'll see you later."
+
+Jack's heart was quite light when he walked swiftly down the lane
+leading to the tiny house, but became heavy again when he saw the little
+woman's face.
+
+It was evident Aunt Nancy was mourning deeply the loss of her pet, and
+the cripple felt that as yet he had nothing tangible to assuage her
+grief.
+
+She looked up inquiringly as he approached, but he offered no
+explanation regarding his journey until the question had been asked
+directly, and then said hesitatingly,--
+
+"I would rather not tell you, Aunt Nancy. I thought I might be able to
+do something, but it was a failure, an' the less we say about it the
+better."
+
+"Jack dear," and the little woman was very grave, "when a boy can't tell
+his friends what he has been doing it looks as if there was something of
+which to be ashamed."
+
+"But in this case there isn't, Aunt Nancy; cross my throat if there is."
+
+"I believe you, my child, but would have much preferred if there had
+been perfect confidence between us."
+
+Jack looked up in positive alarm.
+
+The little woman's tone was so different from what he had ever heard
+before when she was addressing him, that he actually felt frightened.
+
+"I'll tell you all about it," he said quickly; but Aunt Nancy held up
+her hand to prevent his saying anything more.
+
+"If it is something which you wish to keep a secret from me I don't want
+to hear it."
+
+Now Jack was distressed, for there could be no question but that he had
+displeased his best friend.
+
+"Please listen to me, Aunt Nancy. I did say I wasn't going to tell you,
+because I thought perhaps you'd think I was meddlin'. That is, you might
+have thought so after I failed; but if the thing had gone through all
+right you'd been glad."
+
+Then, disregarding entirely her gestures for him to remain silent, he
+told all the story save that relating to his interview with Mr. Souders.
+
+It was yet possible old crumple-horn's place would be filled, but he
+believed it best not to raise any false hopes.
+
+When he concluded Aunt Nancy took his face in her hands, bending his
+head over until she could kiss his cheeks, when she said in a tremulous
+voice,--
+
+"Jack, you are a dear, good boy, and have been a blessing to me from the
+hour you first came into this house; but you must not think of taking
+any such load upon your shoulders. I would not have permitted it even
+had you been able to make a satisfactory bargain with Mr. Treat, and
+that is what no person has ever done before to my knowledge. It was not
+right to keep from me anything you wished to do, and it is proven in
+this case, for if I had known what you thought of attempting, I could
+have explained how useless it would be."
+
+"It didn't seem so to me, Aunt Nancy, and I surely believed I could earn
+more than twenty dollars by working all summer."
+
+"Not for such a man as the storekeeper. Now you will be obliged to walk
+over to Daniel Chick's twice each day for milk, and that will be more
+labor than taking care of poor old crumple-horn."
+
+"Perhaps you may get another cow, Aunt Nancy."
+
+"It is impossible, at least during this year. I spent more money at camp
+meeting than I could afford, and must now pay the penalty when the
+summer boarders come by being forced to buy both milk and butter. It
+will make a big hole in my earnings."
+
+Now that there was no cow to care for, the work in Jack's particular
+department was very light, and, as he said to Aunt Nancy, it seemed as
+if he had hardly begun before the whole was done.
+
+The walk to Daniel Chick's was not as pleasant as taking care of old
+crumple-horn, and besides, he would be forced to pass Bill Dean's house
+twice each day, a fact which caused him no little disquietude; but he
+said nothing regarding this to Aunt Nancy.
+
+The following forty-eight hours passed very quietly on the farm.
+
+The little woman was so thoroughly tired from her labors at camp meeting
+that she did not have the ambition to bustle around as usual, and the
+greater portion of her time was spent with Jack in the garden.
+
+It is probable that no collection of vegetables ever received more care
+than was bestowed by these enthusiastic gardeners.
+
+The smallest weed was detected and instantly pulled up by Aunt Nancy,
+while Jack loosened the ground around the roots of each tiny plant until
+it seemed certain they would be dwarfed.
+
+Much to Jack's discomfort, hardly an hour passed when the little woman
+did not make some reference to Mr. Pratt, and constantly bewailed the
+fact that she failed to see him.
+
+"But it wasn't your fault I couldn't find him, Aunt Nancy," Jack finally
+said.
+
+"I suppose not; but yet it seems as if my cowardice had something to do
+with it."
+
+"You know that couldn't be so, Aunt Nancy; but if you want me to I'll
+walk over to his house. It ain't so terribly far."
+
+This proposition had the effect of reducing the little woman to silence,
+and during three or four hours Louis' guardian heard nothing regarding
+the man whom he had every reason to consider an enemy.
+
+Late on the afternoon of the third day after he had talked with Mr.
+Souders, that gentleman's wife drove up, and instead of alighting to
+call upon Aunt Nancy, said quite sharply,--
+
+"Samuel wanted me to drive over here for Jack."
+
+"Why, what is the matter?" The little woman asked in alarm.
+
+"Nothing very serious, Nancy Curtis, so don't begin to fret. Sam always
+was full of whims, an' I reckon this is one of 'em."
+
+Jack fancied he knew what was wanted, and his heart was very light when
+he clambered into the wagon.
+
+"I'll come right back," he cried, as the carriage rolled away, and Aunt
+Nancy sat looking at Louis as if speechless with astonishment.
+
+"Is it about the cow?" Jack asked of Mrs. Souders, who sat stiff as a
+statue and quite as forbidding looking, holding the reins tightly in
+both hands, and paying no attention to the cripple.
+
+She nodded her head, and Jack could not but wonder if she thought her
+breath too valuable to be wasted in words.
+
+This was the extent of the conversation during the ride of ten minutes
+or more, and the hunchback felt decidedly relieved when it came to an
+end.
+
+Mrs. Souders, silent and stern, was quite as disagreeable a companion as
+Mrs. Souders angry.
+
+The cause of his having thus been summoned was, as he had hoped, a cow.
+
+In the yard, with a halter on her head and a card tied to her horn,
+stood a meek-eyed animal which Jack thought a model of her kind.
+
+Mr. Souders came from the shed as the hunchback alighted, and cried in
+his hearty, cheery voice,--
+
+"What do you think of that, lad? Talk about Treat's cow; why, she can't
+hold a candle side of this one, and there was a big difference in the
+price."
+
+"Is it for Aunt Nancy?"
+
+"Sartin, an' I sent for you to lead her over to the little woman."
+
+"But who's to pay for her?"
+
+"That part of the transaction has been settled already, an' all you have
+to do now, is to take the creater away."
+
+"But I wanted to do somethin' toward buyin' her."
+
+"So you have, my boy. Can you read writin'?"
+
+"Not very well."
+
+"Then come here while I tell you what's on the card. I got one of Daniel
+Chick's daughters to fix it up so's it would be kerrect."
+
+Then Mr. Souders, after wiping his glasses lest a single word should
+escape his attention, read the following:--
+
+  "TO AUNT NANCY CURTIS
+  FROM
+  JACK DUDLEY,
+  TO WHOM THIS COW WAS PRESENTED BY
+  SARAH SOUDERS,
+  IN TOKEN OF HER REGRET FOR THE UNKIND
+  TREATMENT WHICH HE RECEIVED
+  AT HER HANDS."
+
+"You see," Mr. Souders explained confidentially as he finished reading
+the inscription, "mother has been sorry about what happened over to
+Aunt Nancy's, jest as I said she would be, an' this is kind of a
+peace-offerin' to you, at the same time a good turn is done the old
+woman."
+
+"Then no one else paid for the cow? Your wife did the whole thing?"
+
+"I may have chipped in a bit; but that don't count. Its mother's present
+to you an' Aunt Nancy, an' I'm right glad of the chance to help the
+little woman along. She'd be in mighty hard lines this summer if she had
+to buy butter an' milk."
+
+Jack hardly knew what to do or say.
+
+He was delighted almost beyond bounds at being able to take the cow to
+Aunt Nancy, and at the same time it seemed necessary he should thank
+Mrs. Souders, but was at a loss to know how it was to be done.
+
+"Where is your wife?" he asked after a pause.
+
+"In the house, an' I reckon she's locked the door. Better not try to say
+anything to her. Mother's peculiar, an' flies off dreadfully sometimes,
+but her heart's in the right place, my boy, which makes up for a good
+many faults. Lead the creater home now, an' I'll venter to say you'll
+enjoy seein' Aunt Nancy dance when she knows its hers."
+
+Jack would have attempted to thank Mr. Souders, but the gentleman
+prevented him by unfastening the cow's halter, and insisting that the
+animal be led away at once.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX.
+
+BILL DEAN.
+
+
+Jack was a very proud boy when he came down the lane to the farmhouse
+leading the docile animal by the halter.
+
+He hoped to reach the door before Aunt Nancy should see him; but the
+little woman was sitting under the old oak wondering what business Mr.
+Souders had on hand which required the cripple's presence.
+
+He was half way from the main road to the house when she saw him, and
+cried in astonishment,--
+
+"Bless my soul, Jack, have you been and made a trade with Mr. Treat
+after what I said?"
+
+"Indeed I haven't! Jest wait till you see what's on this beauty's horn,
+an' then you'll know all about it."
+
+Aunt Nancy could not curb her curiosity until the animal was led in, but
+ran forward with Louis in her arms, Jack stopping the cow that she might
+read that which was written on the card.
+
+The little woman was bewildered.
+
+She could hardly realize the animal was a present until Jack repeated
+again and again what Mr. Souders had said, and then it was the
+hunchback's turn to be bewildered, for instead of expressing her
+gratitude, she sat down on the grass, regardless of possible stains to
+her dress, and began to cry heartily.
+
+"Why, I thought you'd be glad," Jack said in a tone of disappointment,
+while Louis pulled at the little woman's ringlets to show his sympathy
+for what seemed to be grief.
+
+"So--so--so I am--Jack dear; but--but--it doesn't seem right that people
+should do so--so--so much for me."
+
+"It wouldn't be enough if they'd sent a thousand cows."
+
+"But for you I might never have had poor old crumple-horn replaced."
+
+"Of course you would. That was wrote on the card only to make me feel
+better about what Mrs. Souders did; but she'd given you this all the
+same."
+
+Aunt Nancy refused to look at it in that light, and Jack became confused
+at being overwhelmed with thanks.
+
+The little woman insisted on tracing the gift directly to his visit to
+Treat's store, thus giving him nearly all the credit, until the
+conversation became really painful.
+
+"Let's take her out to the pasture, for she must be hungry by this
+time," he said, as a means of putting an end to the words of gratitude
+which he believed were undeserved.
+
+This aroused Aunt Nancy to a sense of the situation as nothing else
+could have done, for the thought that anything around her might be
+suffering would always cause her to forget herself, and she followed
+Jack, who had lifted Louis to the cow's back to give him a ride.
+
+It was a sort of triumphal procession which halted at the pasture bars
+in order that Aunt Nancy might inspect more closely her new pet.
+
+"Seems wrong to say anything disparaging of poor old crumple-horn after
+she has served me faithfully for so many years, but I must confess this
+cow looks as if she might be a better milker."
+
+"I'll bet she's the best in town," Jack replied enthusiastically, as he
+pulled clover for the gentle animal to eat.
+
+"Not quite that, Jack dear, for Deacon Downs has a Jersey that leads
+everything."
+
+"At any rate his cow can't be as kind as this one."
+
+"That may be," Aunt Nancy replied meditatively as she kissed the fawn
+colored nose. "I do really think we couldn't have found a better
+substitute for poor old crumple-horn."
+
+Then the animal was examined critically, without a single flaw having
+been found, and not until half an hour was spent in this manner could
+she be allowed to enter the pasture.
+
+Aunt Nancy thought it her duty to see Mrs. Souders at the earliest
+opportunity in order to thank her for the gift, and decided to do so on
+the following morning when the breakfast dishes had been cleared away.
+
+Jack went to clean the stall in the barn for the new cow's occupancy,
+and was working industriously when he fancied he heard a cry of distress
+coming from the direction of the duck pond.
+
+His first thought was that Louis had strayed again, but on looking out,
+both he and the little woman were seen under the big oak, apparently as
+happy and contented as well could be.
+
+Believing he had been deceived by his fancy, he resumed the work, but
+only to stop an instant later as the cries sounded more distinct.
+
+This time there could be no mistake, and he ran toward Aunt Nancy as he
+asked,--
+
+"Do you hear that noise? I'm goin' to see what it means."
+
+As he went rapidly across the fields without waiting for a reply, the
+little woman followed him, but her pace was slow because of having the
+baby in her arms.
+
+The cries continued almost incessantly, and by them Jack was guided to a
+clump of large trees standing near one end of the pond within a few
+yards of the spot where Louis had been set adrift on the raft.
+
+It was not necessary to search long for the sufferer.
+
+Lying on the ground, held firmly down by a huge limb of a tree which had
+fallen across his breast in such a manner that he could not use his
+arms, was Bill Dean.
+
+His face was pale, whether from pain or fear Jack had no means of
+ascertaining, for the boy did not wait to be questioned, but cried
+piteously,--
+
+"O Hunchie, help me outer this scrape an' I won't ever play tricks on
+you agin!"
+
+This promise was not necessary to enlist Jack's sympathy.
+
+It was a boy in agony and not an enemy he saw before him; the only
+question in his mind was how the rescue could be effected.
+
+"Lay still, an' I'll do the best I can; but it may hurt a little more
+when I try to lift the limb."
+
+Kneeling that he might get his shoulder under one end of the heavy
+branch, Jack tried to raise it, but in vain.
+
+He was making the second effort, Bill moaning piteously meanwhile, when
+Aunt Nancy arrived, and she, like Jack, thought only of relieving
+suffering.
+
+"Where are you hurt, William?" she asked anxiously.
+
+"I don't know, but it seems as if the ache was all over my body."
+
+"How did the accident happen?"
+
+"I was choppin' this limb off to build a new raft, an' it fell on me."
+
+"Can you lift it, Jack dear?"
+
+"I'm afraid not; it's terribly heavy."
+
+"Let me help you."
+
+The two strained and tugged all to no purpose, when, as he paused to
+regain his breath and wipe the perspiration from his face, Jack said,--
+
+"I could cut away part of it if I had an axe."
+
+"Mine is around here somewhere," Bill said with a groan.
+
+Jack soon found the tool, and, working very cautiously lest he should
+cause the sufferer yet more pain, chopped here and there to remove the
+larger twigs, while Aunt Nancy bathed Bill's pale face with her
+handkerchief wetted in the pond.
+
+[Illustration: "Where are you hurt, William?" asked Aunt Nancy
+anxiously.--Page 252.]
+
+It required nearly half an hour of the most fatiguing labor to perform
+the task, and then Jack said as he threw down the axe,--
+
+"When I lift on this end you must try to pull him out, Aunt Nancy."
+
+The first attempt was a failure, but at the second the little woman
+succeeded, and Bill was drawn from his uncomfortable position looking
+decidedly the worse for wear.
+
+"Can you stand up?" Aunt Nancy asked solicitously as she brushed the
+dirt from Bill's hands, and little Louis patted his cheek to show he
+wished to take some part in the rescue, even though it only was to
+display sympathy.
+
+"I'll try," Master Dean said meekly, and, with the aid of Aunt Nancy and
+Jack, the sorrowful looking bully arose to his feet.
+
+It was positive the bones of his legs were not broken, for he stood
+erect without difficulty, and, this having been ascertained, Aunt Nancy
+proceeded to make a careful examination of his arms and chest.
+
+"I do not believe you are seriously injured, William," she said with a
+sigh of relief. "There can be no doubt but that you will be very lame
+for a few days; you must bear with it, and thank your Father it is no
+worse."
+
+"My father didn't have anything to do with it. He'd given me Jesse if he
+knowed I was here cuttin' down the tree."
+
+"I mean your Father in heaven, William, who watches over even the
+sparrow's fall."
+
+Bill looked rather shamefaced at having made such a mistake, and said as
+he turned half away from his rescuers,--
+
+"I told Hunchie I wouldn't bother him any more if he'd help me out, an'
+I'm goin' to stick to my promise."
+
+"It would have been much better if you had arrived at that conclusion
+before you were in need of assistance," Aunt Nancy replied gravely. "One
+should do right because it is his duty, and not as a reward to others."
+
+"What's the matter now?" Bill asked in surprise. "Do you want me to keep
+on roughin' it into him?"
+
+"Certainly not, and I am glad you made the promise. What I meant was
+that it would have been better had you done so because you wished to."
+
+"But I didn't till now."
+
+"We won't speak of it further now. Go home and ask your mother to rub
+the bruises with liniment. When you feel inclined I would like to have
+you come to see Jack and me."
+
+"I ain't goin' 'round to be preached at," Bill replied in his old
+defiant tone. "There was enough of that at camp meetin' to last a feller
+a month."
+
+"I did not see you at the services."
+
+"Once I had to go when mother caught me jest as the bell was ringin',
+an' its the last time I'll get in the same box."
+
+Aunt Nancy shook her head sadly.
+
+She was discouraged, but not so much as to give up the struggle, for it
+was her intention to renew it again at a more "convenient season."
+
+"We had best go back, Jack dear, and William will come to-morrow to tell
+us how he feels.
+
+"I ain't so sure 'bout that, if you're goin' to stuff a feller with a
+lot of sabbath-school talk," Bill said sulkily, as he picked up the axe
+and started across the fields without further thanks to his kind
+friends.
+
+"He doesn't seem like a very good boy at heart," Aunt Nancy said sadly,
+as she raised Louis in her arms; "but we must not judge by outward
+appearances. I almost feel condemned for saying anything when my own
+sin has not been atoned for. My mind would be much easier if I had seen
+Mr. Pratt at the meeting."
+
+"It won't take long to fix that," Jack replied, noting with sorrow the
+look of pain which had come over the little woman's face. "It will do
+jest as well if I go there an' tell him what you wanted to say."
+
+"But then you would be where they could easily carry you to the poor
+farm."
+
+"Well, s'posen they did, what would that 'mount to side of makin' you
+feel good? Besides, don't you believe Mr. Souders could make them let me
+out?"
+
+"Perhaps he might; I never thought of that."
+
+"I'll leave here to-morrow mornin', an' by night be there."
+
+"Bless your heart, child, I would never think of letting you walk that
+long distance. If we should make up our minds that it was best to go,
+and I wish I _could_ have the strength to say it, you'd ride in the
+cars."
+
+"Why not decide now?"
+
+"Because, Jack dear, it nearly breaks my heart to think there is a
+possibility of being obliged to give you up."
+
+"Well, s'posen we go home an' talk the thing over some other time,"
+Jack said with an assumption of cheerfulness which was far from natural.
+
+He had suddenly conceived a plan by which the little woman could be
+relieved without the pain of deciding that it should be so, and there
+was no more than sufficient time to put it into execution.
+
+Aunt Nancy walked back to the house in a meditative mood, Jack talking
+about the cow and kindred topics to prevent her mind from dwelling upon
+the dreaded subject.
+
+He at once set about doing the chores in an unusually careful manner
+when they arrived home.
+
+A large quantity of wood was brought into the kitchen, an extra amount
+of water drawn, and the cow given a generous lunch of clover after she
+had been driven into the stable.
+
+"Why do you do so much unnecessary work, Jack dear?" Aunt Nancy asked.
+"There will be nothing left for morning, and it is bad to have 'idle
+hands.'"
+
+"I may as well fix everything now, for you know what you said about
+puttin' off till to-morrow. Say, Aunt Nancy, would you lend me a lead
+pencil an' a piece of paper?"
+
+"Of course, my child. Are you going to write a letter?"
+
+"Yes, Aunt Nancy, an' you shall see it in the mornin'."
+
+"Better sit down at the kitchen table. If writing is as much of a task
+for you as it is for me, you'll need every possible convenience."
+
+"I had rather do it in my room, for you see I don't know very much about
+such things, an' it'll come mighty hard, but you won't care if it don't
+look very nice, will you?"
+
+"Certainly not, my child. It could only annoy me because I have not
+taken advantage of our leisure time to teach you the little I know."
+
+"You are always blamin' yourself, Aunt Nancy, an' I don't like to hear
+it. I wouldn't let anybody else talk that way about you."
+
+For reply the little woman patted the boy on the cheek, and then
+proposed the nightly search for burglars be made.
+
+After the evening devotions Aunt Nancy gave Jack the articles he had
+asked for, and was considerably surprised by the warmth of the boy's
+good-night salute.
+
+Once in his room, Jack set about what was for him a formidable task, and
+it was late before he completed the following:--
+
+  "DEAR AUNT NANCY I AM GOIN TO SEA THE FARMER & TELL HIM YOU R SORRY
+  IF I DONT COME BACK U WILL NO WHERE I AM BUT DONT FEL BAD FOUR I
+  LUV U. I CARNT STOP TO MILK
+
+                                  JACK DUDLEY
+                                       URE JACK DEAR."
+
+When this had been done Jack looked around the little room as if taking
+leave of all it contained, wiped a suspicious moisture from his eyes,
+and then dressed, but with his shoes in his hands, crept softly down the
+stairs.
+
+The ticking of the clock sounded strangely loud and unnatural; the
+silence, save for this clicking noise, was oppressive, and he felt as if
+he was about to commit some crime against the woman who had befriended
+him.
+
+"It's got to be done, an' I mustn't stand here worryin' about it, or I
+might back out," he said to himself.
+
+It was necessary he should think of Aunt Nancy's self accusations and
+sorrow before he could nerve himself to raise the window.
+
+He took this method of departing rather than by the door, for he feared
+the little woman would be alarmed on learning she had remained in the
+house a portion of the night without every place of egress being
+securely fastened.
+
+Once outside he gazed around several moments, taking in all the details
+of the place where he had spent so many pleasant days, and then, putting
+on his shoes, he started up the lane with a heart so heavy it seemed a
+positive burden.
+
+The moon shone faintly through the clouds; the night wind murmured
+mournfully among the trees, and before him could dimly be seen the road
+he believed led him to the paupers' home by way of Mr. Pratt's house.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXI.
+
+STARTLING INFORMATION.
+
+
+Realizing that he had a long walk before him, Jack continued on at a
+steady pace keeping ever in mind the good he hoped to accomplish.
+
+He did not dare dwell upon the possible ending to the journey lest he
+should grow faint-hearted, but tried to persuade himself there would be
+some way by which he might escape the threatened ignominy.
+
+By starting at midnight, he expected to arrive at Scarborough early in
+the day, and then, in case Farmer Pratt did not attempt to detain him,
+it would be possible to return to the farm before sunset.
+
+It was not believed he would meet any travellers at that hour, and the
+loneliness, when the shadows danced to and fro athwart the road like
+fairy-land monsters, was so great as to make him repent ever having
+attempted the undertaking.
+
+As the curtain of night was slowly removed, and the heralds of the
+coming morn appeared in the sky, his drooping spirits revived.
+
+He listened with interest to the sounds which proclaimed that day was
+awakening. The birds in their leafy homes began to discuss the propriety
+of going out in search of the "early worm." The frogs from the watery
+dwellings called to their children that it was time to be up and doing
+unless they wanted to remain tadpoles forever, and the wind which came
+"out of the sea" whispered: Awake! it is the day.
+
+The leaves bowed and courtesied, the waving grasses bent yet lower their
+heads, the flowers brought out their sweetest perfumes, and all nature
+was quivering with excitement because the kindly sun was about to show
+himself once more.
+
+Then as the first golden rays of light shot across the sky and the birds
+burst forth into song, Jack felt a certain sense of relief. The words
+which he had heard Aunt Nancy speak so often came to his mind, and he
+repeated over and over again, understanding the meaning better than ever
+before,--
+
+"He doeth all things well."
+
+It was but a little past eight o'clock when he turned the corner which
+led to Farmer Pratt's house, and the first person he saw was none other
+than Master Tom.
+
+"Hello! Where'd you come from?" that young gentleman cried in surprise.
+
+"Down the road a bit."
+
+"Why didn't you git back before? Father's been lookin' almost everywhere
+for you an' the baby."
+
+"Is he still huntin'?"
+
+"No, he gave it up as a bad job a good while ago, for there's no chance
+of gettin' the reward now."
+
+"The reward?" Jack asked in surprise.
+
+"Yes; you see the baby's mother went away from Portland, an' father
+don't allow there's anybody in town who cares very much about it after
+so long a time."
+
+"Louis' mother in Portland?" Jack cried, rapidly growing bewildered.
+
+"Of course; father went in to see her after he made up his mind you'd
+gone away; but she wasn't there, so he said it would pay him better to
+'tend to the farm instead of runnin' 'round after you fellers."
+
+Jack's eyes were opened wide with astonishment, and Tom began to think
+the hunchback had taken leave of his senses.
+
+"What's the matter with you?" he asked sharply, and Jack replied
+slowly,--
+
+"I can't make out how Mrs. Littlefield happened to be in Portland when
+the last I saw of her was on the 'Atlanta.' Why, the ship was goin' to
+Bremen!"
+
+"She come inside the breakwater after you went adrift. It's all in the
+papers father's got."
+
+"Why didn't you tell me about it?" Jack asked reproachfully.
+
+"How could I when we didn't know where you was? Me an' father hunted all
+'round, but couldn't find hide nor hair of either you or the baby."
+
+"Was your father tryin' to send us back to Mrs. Littlefield?"
+
+"Sure, 'cause he wanted to earn the reward."
+
+"An' I've been keepin' out of his way when I might have given Louis back
+to his mother long ago!" Jack cried in dismay.
+
+"You oughter knowed better."
+
+"How could I when he'd threatened to send us to the poor farm?"
+
+"But he didn't."
+
+"He told Aunt Nancy so."
+
+"Who's she?"
+
+"A lady we've been livin' with. Say, Tom, have you got the papers that
+tell about Mrs. Littlefield huntin' for us?"
+
+"There's a whole slat of 'em down to the house. Father spent more'n
+twenty cents buyin' whatever had anything in it about you."
+
+"Will you give me one?"
+
+"Of course. I know they ain't any good, for I heard him say he'd thrown
+away jest so much money on the pesky things."
+
+"Let's go right down an' get one," Jack cried excitedly as he tried to
+quicken Tom's movements by pulling at his arm.
+
+Master Pratt was not a boy who could be hurried; he objected to moving
+quickly upon any occasion, however important, and said irritably,--
+
+"Don't yank a feller 'round so; if I go back now I'm afraid father'll be
+there an' set me to work."
+
+"I'll help you if he does."
+
+"A feller like you wouldn't 'mount to much haulin' rock-weed," Tom said
+scornfully.
+
+"But I'll help as much as I can. _Do_ go, Tom; only think what it means
+to Louis! His mother will soon find him if I can take one of the papers
+back to Aunt Nancy."
+
+"How do you make that out?"
+
+"She'd see where to write to Mrs. Littlefield, an' that would settle the
+whole thing."
+
+"Well, I'll go," Master Pratt said with an air such as he fancied a
+martyr should wear; "but it's goin' to be mighty hard if I'm set to work
+after gettin' so far away from home."
+
+Jack hurried him along as fast as possible, which at the best was a slow
+pace, and, on arriving at the Pratt farm, Tom reconnoitred several
+minutes, determined not to enter the house if his father was on the
+premises.
+
+Mr. Pratt was nowhere to be seen, and Tom whispered,--
+
+"You stay here while I run in an' get it. Mother may be mad if she sees
+you hangin' 'round after father has blowed us up so much for lettin' you
+go away."
+
+Jack hid himself behind a clump of hollyhocks, and in a few moments Tom
+came back with two papers which showed signs of having been subjected to
+hard usage.
+
+"Put 'em in your pocket, an' let's skip."
+
+Jack was about to act upon this suggestion when it suddenly occurred to
+him that, in the excitement caused by learning Louis' mother was
+searching for her child, he had forgotten the reason for his visit.
+
+"I've got to see your father before I leave," he said.
+
+"What for? He won't be very pleasant after losin' all the money the
+captain's wife was willin' to pay."
+
+"I can't help that. I'm here with a message from Aunt Nancy, an' it must
+be delivered."
+
+"I guess you'll find him down in the potato patch, but I ain't fool
+enough to go with you. Hurry up, an' I'll see you on the road, for I
+reckon you count on goin' back to that Aunt Nancy."
+
+"Of course, an' I must be there as soon as possible."
+
+Tom pointed out the location of the field, and Jack started across the
+ploughed land feeling very light at heart, because it now seemed
+probable Louis would soon find his mother.
+
+Farmer Pratt was not aware he had a visitor until Jack had approached
+within a couple of yards, and said in a voice which was decidedly
+shaky,--
+
+"Good mornin', sir."
+
+"Hello! It's you, eh?"
+
+"Yes, sir," Jack replied, as if believing the gentleman wished for an
+answer.
+
+"Well, you young scoundrel, what have you to say for yourself after
+cheatin' me out of one hundred dollars? Answer me that, you misshapen
+villain!"
+
+"I didn't cheat you, sir."
+
+"Don't contradict me, you miserable cripple, or as sure's my name's
+Nathan Pratt I'll strike you with this hoe!"
+
+Jack started back in alarm as the farmer raised the tool, and then,
+hoping to bring the interview to a speedy close, said timidly,--
+
+"I came here, sir, to tell you that Aunt Nancy is awful sorry she acted
+a lie when you were at the house huntin' for us. She can't be easy in
+her mind till she's confessed, an' as she couldn't walk so far I've come
+in her place."
+
+"Is that the little woman up on the Saco road with a couple of curls an'
+a mighty sharp tongue?"
+
+"She's got two curls."
+
+"I know her! So she lied to me, eh?"
+
+"Not exactly, sir, for you didn't ask straight out if we were there; but
+she's awful good and thinks by not tellin' everything it was the same as
+a lie, so I come over here to tell you she's sorry."
+
+"So she ought to be, the vixen! The idea of a little drop of vinegar
+like her keepin' that baby away from his mother!"
+
+"Did you know, then, that Louis' mother was huntin' for him?"
+
+"Of course I did, or else why would I have gone gallivantin' 'round the
+country lookin' for him?"
+
+"Then why didn't you tell her? She'd been only too glad to hear from
+Mrs. Littlefield, but you made her believe we'd got to be took to the
+poor farm."
+
+The farmer glared at Jack for an instant, and then it flashed across his
+mind that the cause of his losing the reward was the lie he told to Aunt
+Nancy.
+
+This was not a consoling thought to one who had mourned so deeply over
+the loss of the prospective money as had Mr. Pratt, and the only relief
+he could find was in scolding Jack.
+
+The cripple listened to his angry words a few seconds, and then, knowing
+no good could come of waiting, said as he walked away,--
+
+"I only came over here to tell you Aunt Nancy was sorry, an' there's no
+need of stayin' any longer after you know it."
+
+"I'll have her arrested for swindlin' me outer that money!"
+
+"She didn't do anything of the kind, an' it's all your own fault you
+lost it," Jack cried, emboldened by the knowledge that he was at a safe
+distance from the angry man.
+
+The farmer shook his fist at the cripple in impotent rage, and Jack
+hurried out to the road where Tom was waiting to receive him.
+
+"What was goin' on down there?" Master Pratt asked eagerly. "I heard him
+hollerin' awful."
+
+"It wasn't much. Your father was kinder mad, but I guess he'll get over
+it pretty soon."
+
+"I hope so, for he's been scoldin' about losin' the money ever since he
+first saw the papers. Where are you goin' now?"
+
+"Home."
+
+"Why don't you hold on a while an' get rested?"
+
+"It won't do to stop; Aunt Nancy'll be worryin' about me, an', besides,
+we've got to send a letter to Louis' mother right away."
+
+Tom insisted that after the service he had rendered it would be nothing
+more than a friendly act for the cripple to remain and chat a while, but
+Jack would listen to nothing of the kind.
+
+Despite his weariness he set out on the return journey at once, but with
+a lighter heart than when he left Aunt Nancy's home.
+
+It was dark when he came down the lane and found the little woman
+sitting under the old oak.
+
+"O Jack dear!" she cried in tones of mingled joy and surprise. "It's
+really you, and that hard-hearted farmer didn't send you to the poor
+farm. But perhaps you couldn't find him," she added as the thought
+occurred to her.
+
+"Yes I did, an' I told him you was sorry."
+
+Then Jack related the incidents of his journey, reserving until the last
+the startling news which promised to restore Louis to his parents' arms.
+
+Aunt Nancy alternately laughed and cried when she heard the story, and
+at its conclusion said,--
+
+"What a lesson that should be to us, Jack dear. If I hadn't acted the
+lie Louis would have seen his mother just so much sooner, and I have
+been the means of making the poor woman's heart ache longer than was
+necessary. You thought it wasn't a sin because I didn't _speak_ the
+words which formed the falsehood, and yet you can now see that increased
+trouble has been brought about by it."
+
+"But Mr. Pratt told a reg'lar lie."
+
+"That doesn't excuse me in the slightest. If every person in the world
+spoke falsely I couldn't plead that it gave me a right to do so. But
+come into the house and get something to eat. You must be nearly
+famished as well as tired."
+
+"A slice of bread and butter wouldn't taste bad. Where's Louis?"
+
+"I put him to bed an hour ago," the little woman replied as she led the
+way in. "After I set the table I'll read the papers you brought so we
+can find out what's to be done to let that poor woman know where her
+baby is."
+
+Jack insisted there was no reason why the table should be laid for him,
+but Aunt Nancy would not listen to his proposition of taking the food in
+his hands.
+
+She set out some of the best crockery, and in it placed as tempting a
+lunch as the most fastidious boy could have asked for.
+
+Then as Jack ate she read the accounts of the accident on board the
+"Atlanta."
+
+"It doesn't state here where the captain lives," she said after a while,
+"but I think I know how we can find Mrs. Littlefield. I will write a
+letter to the editor of the paper asking for her address, or perhaps it
+would save time to send one to her and get him to address it."
+
+"The last plan is the best," Jack said after some thought.
+
+"Then I'll write at once, and you shall take it to the post office the
+first thing in the morning."
+
+It was late before the little woman finished what was to her a hard
+task, and then she thanked her Father for his wondrous goodness and
+mercy in allowing that her sin brought forth no other evil than the
+delay in restoring the baby to his mother's arms.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XXII.
+
+THE ARRIVAL.
+
+
+Bright and early on the following morning Jack set out for the post
+office with the letter, and Mr. Treat would have resumed the "dicker"
+for the cow immediately after his arrival, but the hunchback prevented
+him by saying,--
+
+"I don't want to buy one now. Mrs. Souders gave Aunt Nancy a handsome
+creature, and that is all she needs."
+
+"Sho! You don't mean to tell me Sarah Souders gave one right out?"
+
+"That's what she did."
+
+"Then all I can say is, it's a case of fool an' her money soon parted.
+Why shouldn't Aunt Nancy pay for things the same as anybody else?"
+
+"She hadn't the money."
+
+"There's where you make a mistake, for we haven't settled for the wheat
+yet, an' I've quite a little sum in my hands belongin' to her."
+
+"But that must be used in gettin' ready for the summer boarders."
+
+"Well," Mr. Treat said with a long-drawn sigh, as if pained because he
+had been prevented from performing a charitable act, "I can't help it if
+the old woman wants sich a cow as Sarah Souders would buy when she can
+get a good one from me by puttin' out a little money."
+
+Then the worthy post master took the letter Jack handed him, scrutinized
+it carefully, asked if Aunt Nancy was thinking of putting an
+advertisement in the papers for summer boarders, and, on receiving a
+non-committal answer, finally dropped it in the mail bag.
+
+Jack had waited to see this last act performed, and when the missive
+disappeared he hurried home.
+
+It so chanced that he did not arrive there as soon as he had expected.
+
+While passing Mr. Dean's house Bill came out and hailed him with,--
+
+"Say, Hunchie, is the old maid waitin' for me to come 'round so she can
+talk Sunday school?"
+
+"Aunt Nancy doesn't do anything of the kind. If you knowed her as well
+as I do you'd be mighty glad to be where she was."
+
+"I ain't sayin' that isn't so, an' don't be s'prised if you see me up
+there pretty soon."
+
+"Shall I tell her so?"
+
+"No, for it might give the old woman too much of a shock. I only thought
+I'd let you know so's you wouldn't get frightened when I came inter the
+yard," and with this remark Master Dean re-entered the house, probably
+thinking he had paved the way in a very delicate manner for a visit to
+the little woman whom he had so often held up to ridicule.
+
+Now that the important letter had really been sent both Aunt Nancy and
+Jack were in a nervously expectant frame of mind.
+
+They were unable to decide whether the editor of the newspaper or Mrs.
+Littlefield would write first, and anxiously they awaited for some
+tidings.
+
+Jack went to the post office for every mail, and the little woman
+actually neglected to wipe imaginary specks of dust from the furniture
+during three whole days.
+
+At the expiration of this time both were startled at seeing Daniel Chick
+drive up the lane with a strange lady in his wagon.
+
+It was at the close of the afternoon, and the two were sitting under the
+big oak while Louis nestled snugly in the little woman's arms.
+
+There was no doubt in Aunt Nancy's mind as to who the stranger might be
+when she leaped from the carriage, and, seizing the baby in her arms,
+covered his face with kisses and tears.
+
+"It's the dear little fellow's mother," Aunt Nancy whispered, as she led
+Jack away, "and it is well to leave her alone for a while. She may be
+hungry, and we must get supper at once. Send Daniel Chick off while I
+start the fire."
+
+It was not an easy matter to dismiss the driver of the vehicle.
+
+He had been unable to extract any information from Mrs. Littlefield, and
+wanted to know why she had come to Aunt Nancy's at least three weeks
+before the summer boarders should arrive.
+
+"It's the baby's mother, and we want to leave her alone," Jack replied.
+
+"I ain't troublin' of her, am I?" and Mr. Chick crossed one leg over the
+other as he gazed at the scene.
+
+"No; but Aunt Nancy said you were to go away now," Jack persisted, and
+then, seeing that the gentleman evinced no disposition to leave, he
+joined the little woman in the house.
+
+Supper was ready and on the table before Mrs. Littlefield could
+relinquish the baby long enough to ask Jack for the particulars of his
+adventures.
+
+Then when she came to the door Aunt Nancy said, as her ringlets,
+sharing the feelings of the wearer, shook with suppressed excitement,--
+
+"I hope you will have something to eat. You must be hungry by this time,
+and Louis shall sit with me while you are at the table."
+
+As she spoke the little woman held out her hands invitingly to the baby,
+and he showed every desire to go to her.
+
+"It can be plainly seen that my darling has had a good home," Mrs.
+Littlefield replied as she kissed him again and again.
+
+"He has been loved perhaps better than in a house where there were other
+children; but almost any one would have given him the same treatment."
+
+"I am afraid not; both he and Jack have been very fortunate. Now I will
+take a cup of tea, but had rather hold him myself."
+
+Aunt Nancy beckoned for Jack to be seated although it was not more than
+two hours since he had eaten supper, and when the little woman's head
+was bowed in devotion she fervently thanked her Father for his wondrous
+goodness and mercy in allowing the mother and child to meet again in
+this world.
+
+During the meal Mrs. Littlefield asked Jack to tell the story of his
+wanderings, and he gave them in detail, not omitting an account of
+Farmer Pratt's determination to send them to the poor farm.
+
+"I shall never be able to repay you for all you have done, my boy,"
+Louis' mother said feelingly when the cripple concluded. "You are to go
+back with me, and I will take care that you have a good home."
+
+Jack had nothing to say in regard to this.
+
+It seemed only natural he should remain with Louis after all that had
+happened, but the idea of leaving the farm was not a pleasant one.
+
+He had known Mrs. Littlefield only during such time as she was on
+shipboard, and while she had been kind to him it was as nothing compared
+with what he experienced during his stay with Aunt Nancy.
+
+Very much was said regarding the children's adventures. Aunt Nancy was
+thanked over and over again for all her kindness, and then Louis' mother
+intimated that she would like to retire.
+
+"I wish to leave here on the first train to-morrow morning, and have
+travelled so long that rest seems necessary now."
+
+The little woman conducted her guest to another apartment, and then,
+with Jack's assistance, the kitchen was made tidy once more.
+
+Louis was nestling in his mother's arms in the lavender-scented bed
+which Aunt Nancy kept especially for "company," and the little woman and
+Jack were under the big oak together for what both believed would be the
+last time.
+
+"You must think sometimes, Jack dear, of the poor old maid who is
+sitting out here at this same hour wondering where in the big world her
+boy and baby are."
+
+"There won't come a day or evening, Aunt Nancy, when I sha'n't think of
+you, and remember you are the best friend I or any other boy ever had.
+You see I can't say what is in my heart, but if I could you'd know I'd
+never forget how good you've been to me."
+
+"The little I have done, Jack dear, was only my duty, and you have paid
+me a thousand fold for everything. I haven't been so contented for many
+years as since you came here, and but for the wrong committed when Mr.
+Pratt called I should have been perfectly happy."
+
+"I'm glad you liked me," Jack said half to himself, "for if you hadn't I
+wouldn't have known what a real home was like. It kinder seems as if I
+belonged here."
+
+"You _do_ act the same as own folks, and I wonder if Mrs. Littlefield
+will take as much comfort with you as I have?"
+
+"But I'm not goin' to stay at her house very long. When the captain
+comes home I shall get work on board the 'Atlanta' again. Folks won't
+keep me for an ornament, you know, an' I must earn my own livin'."
+
+"Do you like to go to sea?"
+
+"Well, there's some things about it that's pleasanter than stayin'
+ashore. The sailors are kinder than the boys in town, an' don't call me
+'Hunchie,' or names of that sort."
+
+Aunt Nancy remained silent, as if in deep thought, several moments, and
+then said abruptly,--
+
+"You certainly ought to go to school a portion of the time, Jack dear."
+
+"I s'pose I had, for I don't know scarcely anything, an' never had a
+chance to learn."
+
+"Can you read?"
+
+"If the words ain't too long; but in printin' there are so few short
+ones, that I don't seem to find out what the man who made it meant."
+
+"I should have taught you instead of sitting here idle; but we couldn't
+have accomplished a great deal since you came."
+
+"You've had enough to do without botherin' about me."
+
+"But, Jack, you can do a great deal by yourself. Before you go away I
+want to give you a little money, and with some of it you must buy a
+school book. Then study a certain portion of it each day, until there is
+no difficulty in reading any ordinary print. After that will be time
+enough to take up other branches, and writing must come with the
+reading, as I shall look very anxiously for a letter in your own hand."
+
+"I'll do the best I can, Aunt Nancy, but I don't want you to give me any
+money. You haven't much to spare, and that I know."
+
+"I shall share it with you, Jack dear, and you mustn't make any
+objection, for after you have gone I shall feel better to know you are
+able to buy what little you may want."
+
+Then Aunt Nancy drew from her pocket a small black book which she handed
+to the boy as she said in a low tone,--
+
+"This was my father's Bible, and the print is so faint that I can no
+longer read it even with glasses."
+
+"Hadn't you rather keep it? It was your father's."
+
+  "No, dear. I have one as you know, and this can be put to no better
+  service than teaching you the right way. For my sake, Jack, become a
+  good man. Shun evil company, and do unto others as you would they
+  should do unto you. I haven't set a very good example in that way since
+  you came here; but you have a better temper than I, and for that more is
+  expected. Don't be tempted to tell a lie, and then you'll never feel as
+  I have since Mr. Pratt called."
+
+"I'll remember all you say, Aunt Nancy, and it would be a mighty
+ungrateful feller who'd do anything he thought would make you feel bad."
+
+Then ensued another long interval of silence, during which the sun
+finished his work of painting the clouds, and had sunk behind the hills.
+
+"It'll come pretty hard not to see you at night," Jack finally said
+thoughtfully.
+
+"Will it, really?" the little woman asked eagerly.
+
+"Of course," and Jack looked up in surprise that such a question should
+have been asked. "I don't s'pose I'll ever find a home as nice as this."
+
+"And would you be willing to stay here?"
+
+"Indeed I would if I could get work to pay my way."
+
+"Don't you think it would be lonely when winter comes, and you would be
+obliged to remain a greater portion of the time in the house?"
+
+"Not if you was here."
+
+"Then, Jack, I am going to say something I thought ought not to be
+spoken of for fear you might do it simply to please me. Why not stay?"
+
+"But I can't find any work 'round here, Aunt Nancy."
+
+"You have contrived to get plenty from the first night I saw you. If
+this home seems pleasant there is no reason why you should leave it, and
+when the white winged messengers come to carry me to the Father, the
+little I leave behind shall be yours. It isn't much, Jack dear, but
+would keep you from want, and a delicate boy like you is not able to
+fight the hard world. If you were strong and well the case would be
+different."
+
+Jack drew a long breath as if the pleasurable surprise was almost
+overpowering, and then asked slowly,--
+
+"Do you really want me to live here?"
+
+"Do I want you? If you say you will stay the pain which is now in my
+heart will go away in an instant, and I would be the happiest old woman
+in the State."
+
+"Then there'll be two feelin' mighty good, Aunt Nancy, for I'm only too
+glad of the chance."
+
+The little woman kissed him tenderly, which told better than words that
+the invitation really came from the heart.
+
+Not until a late hour that night did the tiny woman and the cripple
+leave the bench under the old oak.
+
+Aunt Nancy had many plans for the future, chief among which was giving
+Jack an education, and he speculated upon the possibility of tilling so
+much of the farm during the coming season as would give him a small
+income.
+
+All this was so interesting that for the first time in her life Aunt
+Nancy came very near forgetting to search the house for supposed
+burglars.
+
+"Mercy on us, Jack! It must be near midnight, and we haven't looked into
+a single room yet. I am so excited I hardly know what I'm about."
+
+"I don't believe there would be any harm done if we didn't search the
+place for a week," Jack said with a merry laugh; "but we'll go through
+the motions all the same."
+
+On the following morning there was very little opportunity for a lengthy
+conversation upon the change in the plans as arranged by Aunt Nancy and
+Jack.
+
+When she made known the fact that the cripple would remain with her,
+Mrs. Littlefield approved heartily of it.
+
+"I am positive he couldn't have a better home," she said, "and will take
+it upon myself to see he is not a burden. That much I owe him, if
+nothing more, for all he did to make my baby happy and comfortable."
+
+"I am not a rich woman, Mrs. Littlefield," Aunt Nancy said with
+considerable dignity, "but I can care for the dear boy while I live."
+
+This concluded the subject, for at that moment Daniel Chick arrived to
+take the visitor to the station, and Aunt Nancy and Jack could think of
+nothing save the parting with the little fellow they had learned to love
+so dearly.
+
+Louis crowed and laughed at the prospect of a ride, and Aunt Nancy said
+sadly when he disappeared around the corner of the lane,--
+
+"It almost seems as if he was glad to go away from us, Jack dear."
+
+"I reckon the farm will be kinder lonesome for a day or two, but he's
+with his mother, an' that's where he belongs."
+
+"Yes, dear, we mustn't repine. The day will soon come for me when I go
+away to my Father, and then you must think the same, for I shall be many
+times happier in the eternal city than the baby is now. It will be a
+lonely time for you, Jack dear, but only for a short while, after which
+the old maid and the cripple will be in the glory and splendor of God's
+own light."
+
+Then Aunt Nancy kissed Jack affectionately as she drew him to the
+favorite seat, and, under the old oak where so many happy as well as sad
+hours have been spent, will we bid adieu to the hunchback and his best
+earthly friend.
+
+
+THE END.
+
+
+
+
+A. L. BURT'S PUBLICATIONS
+
+For Young People
+
+BY POPULAR WRITERS.
+
+52-58 Duarte Street, New York.
+
+
+
+
+=Bonnie Prince Charlie=: A Tale of Fontenoy and Culloden. By G. A.
+HENTY. With 12 full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo,
+cloth, price $1.00.
+
+The adventures of the son of a Scotch officer in French service. The
+boy, brought up by a Glasgow bailie, is a arrested for aiding a
+Jacobite agent, escapes, is wrecked on the French coast, reaches Paris,
+and serves with the French army at Dettingen. He kills his father's foe
+in a duel, and escaping to the coast, shares the adventures of Prince
+Charlie, but finally settles happily in Scotland.
+
+"Ronald, the hero, is very like the hero of 'Quentin Durward.' The
+lad's journey across France, and his hairbreadth escapes, make up
+as good a narrative of the kind as we have ever read. For freshness
+of treatment and variety of incident Mr. Henty has surpassed
+himself."--_Spectator._
+
+
+=With Clive in India=; or, the Beginnings of an Empire. By G. A.
+HENTY. With 12 full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo,
+cloth, price $1.00.
+
+The period between the landing of Clive as a young writer in India and
+the close of his career was critical and eventful in the extreme. At its
+commencement the English were traders existing on sufferance of the
+native princes. At its close they were masters of Bengal and of the
+greater part of Southern India. The author has given a full and accurate
+account of the events of that stirring time, and battles and sieges
+follow each other in rapid succession, while he combines with his
+narrative a tale of daring and adventure, which gives a lifelike
+interest to the volume.
+
+"He has taken a period of Indian history of the most vital
+importance, and he has embroidered on the historical facts a story
+which of itself is deeply interesting. Young people assuredly will
+be delighted with the volume."--_Scotsman._
+
+
+=The Lion of the North=: A Tale of Gustavus Adolphus and the Wars of
+Religion. By G. A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by JOHN
+SCHÖNBERG. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+In this story Mr. Henty gives the history of the first part of the
+Thirty Years' War. The issue had its importance, which has extended to
+the present day, as it established religious freedom in Germany. The
+army of the chivalrous king of Sweden was largely composed of Scotchmen,
+and among these was the hero of the story.
+
+"The tale is a clever and instructive piece of history, and as boys
+may be trusted to read it conscientiously, they can hardly fail to
+be profited."--_Times._
+
+
+=The Dragon and the Raven;= or, The Days of King Alfred. By G. A.
+HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by C. J. STANILAND. 12mo,
+cloth, price $1.00.
+
+In this story the author gives an account of the fierce struggle
+between Saxon and Dane for supremacy in England, and presents a vivid
+picture of the misery and ruin to which the country was reduced by the
+ravages of the sea-wolves. The hero, a young Saxon thane, takes part in
+all the battles fought by King Alfred. He is driven from his home, takes
+to the sea and resists the Danes on their own element, and being pursued
+by them up the Seine, is present at the long and desperate siege of
+Paris.
+
+"Treated in a manner most attractive to the boyish reader."--_Athenæum._
+
+
+=The Young Carthaginian=: A Story of the Times of Hannibal. By G. A.
+HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by C. J. STANILAND, R.I. 12mo,
+cloth, price $1.00.
+
+Boys reading the history of the Punic Wars have seldom a keen
+appreciation of the merits of the contest. That it was at first a
+struggle for empire, and afterward for existence on the part of
+Carthage, that Hannibal was a great and skillful general, that he
+defeated the Romans at Trebia, Lake Trasimenus, and Cannæ, and all but
+took Rome, represents pretty nearly the sum total of their knowledge. To
+let them know more about this momentous struggle for the empire of the
+world Mr. Henty has written this story, which not only gives in graphic
+style a brilliant description of a most interesting period of history,
+but is a tale of exciting adventure sure to secure the interest of the
+reader.
+
+"Well constructed and vividly told. From first to last nothing
+stays the interest of the narrative. It bears us along as on a
+stream whose current varies in direction, but never loses its
+force."--_Saturday Review._
+
+
+=In Freedom's Cause=: A Story of Wallace and Bruce. By G. A. HENTY.
+With full page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo, cloth, price
+$1.00.
+
+In this story the author relates the stirring tale of the Scottish War
+of Independence. The extraordinary valor and personal prowess of Wallace
+and Bruce rival the deeds of the mythical heroes of chivalry, and indeed
+at one time Wallace was ranked with these legendary personages. The
+researches of modern historians have shown, however, that he was a
+living, breathing man--and a valiant champion. The hero of the tale
+fought under both Wallace and Bruce, and while the strictest historical
+accuracy has been maintained with respect to public events, the work is
+full of "hairbreadth 'scapes" and wild adventure.
+
+"It is written in the author's best style. Full of the wildest and
+most remarkable achievements, it is a tale of great interest, which
+a boy, once he has begun it, will not willingly put on one
+side."--_The Schoolmaster._
+
+
+=With Lee in Virginia=: A Story of the American Civil War. By G. A.
+HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo, cloth,
+price $1.00.
+
+The story of a young Virginian planter, who, after bravely proving his
+sympathy with the slaves of brutal masters, serves with no less courage
+and enthusiasm under Lee and Jackson through the most exciting events of
+the struggle. He has many hairbreadth escapes, is several times wounded
+and twice taken prisoner; but his courage and readiness and, in two
+cases, the devotion of a black servant and of a runaway slave whom he
+had assisted, bring him safely through all difficulties.
+
+"One of the best stories for lads which Mr. Henty has yet written.
+The picture is full of life and color, and the stirring and
+romantic incidents are skillfully blended with the personal
+interest and charm of the story."--_Standard._
+
+
+=By England's Aid=; or, The Freeing of the Netherlands (1585-1604) By
+G.A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE, and
+Maps. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+The story of two English lads who go to Holland as pages in the service
+of one of "the fighting Veres." After many adventures by sea and land,
+one of the lads finds himself on board a Spanish ship at the time of the
+defeat of the Armada, and escapes only to fall into the hands of the
+Corsairs. He is successful in getting back to Spain under the protection
+of a wealthy merchant, and regains his native country after the capture
+of Cadiz.
+
+"It is an admirable book for youngsters. It overflows with stirring
+incident and exciting adventure, and the color of the era and of
+the scene are finely reproduced. The illustrations add to its
+attractiveness."--_Boston Gazette._
+
+
+=By Right of Conquest=; or, With Cortez in Mexico. By G. A. HENTY.
+With full page Illustrations by W. S. STACEY, and Two Maps. 12mo,
+cloth, price $1.50.
+
+The conquest of Mexico by a small band of resolute men under the
+magnificent leadership of Cortez is always rightly ranked among the most
+romantic and daring exploits in history. With this as the groundwork of
+his story Mr. Henty has interwoven the adventures of an English youth,
+Roger Hawkshaw, the sole survivor of the good ship Swan, which had
+sailed from a Devon port to challenge the mercantile supremacy of the
+Spaniards in the New World. He is beset by many perils among the
+natives, but is saved by his own judgment and strength, and by the
+devotion of an Aztec princess. At last by a ruse he obtains the
+protection of the Spaniards, and after the fall of Mexico he succeeds in
+regaining his native shore, with a fortune and a charming Aztec bride.
+
+"'By Right of Conquest' is the nearest approach to a perfectly
+successful historical tale that Mr. Henty has yet published."--_Academy._
+
+
+=In the Reign of Terror=: The Adventures of a Westminster Boy By G.
+A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by J. SCHÖNBERG. 12mo,
+cloth, price $1.00.
+
+Harry Sandwith, a Westminster boy, becomes a resident at the chateau of
+a French marquis, and after various adventures accompanies the family to
+Paris at the crisis of the Revolution. Imprisonment and death reduce
+their number, and the hero finds himself beset by perils with the three
+young daughters of the house in his charge. After hairbreadth escapes
+they reach Nantes. There the girls are condemned to death in the
+coffin-ships, but are saved by the unfailing courage of their boy
+protector.
+
+"Harry Sandwith, the Westminster boy, may fairly be said to beat
+Mr. Henty's record. His adventures will delight boys by the
+audacity and peril they depict.... The story is one of Mr. Henty's
+best."--_Saturday Review._
+
+
+=With Wolfe in Canada=; or, The Winning of a Continent. By G. A.
+HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo, cloth,
+price $1.00.
+
+In the present volume Mr. Henty gives an account of the struggle between
+Britain and France for supremacy in the North American continent. On the
+issue of this war depended not only the destinies of North America, but
+to a large extent those of the mother countries themselves. The fall of
+Quebec decided that the Anglo-Saxon race should predominate in the New
+World; that Britain, and not France, should take the lead among the
+nations of Europe; and that English and American commerce, the English
+language, and English literature, should spread right round the globe.
+
+"It is not only a lesson in history as instructively as it is
+graphically told, but also a deeply interesting and often thrilling
+tale of adventure and peril by flood and field."--_Illustrated
+London News._
+
+
+=True to the Old Flag=: A Tale of the American War of Independence.
+By G. A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE.
+12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+In this story the author has gone to the accounts of officers who took
+part in the conflict, and lads will find that in no war in which
+American and British soldiers have been engaged did they behave with
+greater courage and good conduct. The historical portion of the book
+being accompanied with numerous thrilling adventures with the redskins
+on the shores of Lake Huron, a story of exciting interest is interwoven
+with the general narrative and carried through the book.
+
+"Does justice to the pluck and determination of the British
+soldiers during the unfortunate struggle against American
+emancipation. The son of an American loyalist, who remains true to
+our flag, falls among the hostile redskins in that very Huron
+country which has been endeared to us by the exploits of Hawkeye
+and Chingachgook."--_The Times._
+
+
+=The Lion of St. Mark=: A Tale of Venice in the Fourteenth Century.
+By G. A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE.
+12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+A story of Venice at a period when her strength and splendor were put to
+the severest tests. The hero displays a fine sense and manliness which
+carry him safely through an atmosphere of intrigue, crime, and
+bloodshed. He contributes largely to the victories of the Venetians at
+Porto d'Anzo and Chioggia, and finally wins the hand of the daughter of
+one of the chief men of Venice.
+
+"Every boy should read 'The Lion of St. Mark.' Mr. Henty has never
+produced a story more delightful, more wholesome, or more
+vivacious."--_Saturday Review._
+
+
+=A Final Reckoning=: A Tale of Bush Life in Australia. By G. A.
+HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by W. B. WOLLEN. 12mo,
+cloth, price $1.00.
+
+The hero, a young English lad, after rather a stormy boyhood emigrates
+to Australia, and gets employment as an officer in the mounted police. A
+few years of active work on the frontier, where he has many a brush with
+both natives and bushrangers, gain him promotion to a captaincy, and he
+eventually settles down to the peaceful life of a squatter.
+
+"Mr. Henty has never published a more readable, a more carefully
+constructed, or a better written story than this."--_Spectator._
+
+
+=Under Drake's Flag=: A Tale of the Spanish Main. By G. A. HENTY.
+With full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo, cloth, price
+$1.00.
+
+A story of the days when England and Spain struggled for the supremacy
+of the sea. The heroes sail as lads with Drake in the Pacific
+expedition, and in his great voyage of circumnavigation. The historical
+portion of the story is absolutely to be relied upon, but this will
+perhaps be less attractive than the great variety of exciting adventure
+through which the young heroes pass in the course of their voyages.
+
+"A book of adventure, where the hero meets with experience enough,
+one would think, to turn his hair gray."--_Harper's Monthly
+Magazine._
+
+
+=By Sheer Pluck=: A Tale of the Ashanti War. By G. A. HENTY. With
+full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+The author has woven, in a tale of thrilling interest, all the details
+of the Ashanti campaign, of which he was himself a witness. His hero,
+after many exciting adventures in the interior, is detained a prisoner
+by the king just before the outbreak of the war, but escapes, and
+accompanies the English expedition on their march to Coomassie.
+
+"Mr. Henty keeps up his reputation as a writer of boys' stories.
+'By Sheer Pluck' will be eagerly read."--_Athenæum._
+
+
+=By Pike and Dyke=: A Tale of the Rise of the Dutch Republic. By G.
+A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by MAYNARD BROWN, and 4
+Maps. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+In this story Mr. Henty traces the adventures and brave deeds of an
+English boy in the household of the ablest man of his age--William the
+Silent. Edward Martin, the son of an English sea-captain, enters the
+service of the Prince as a volunteer, and is employed by him in many
+dangerous and responsible missions, in the discharge of which he passes
+through the great sieges of the time. He ultimately settles down as Sir
+Edward Martin.
+
+"Boys with a turn for historical research will be enchanted with
+the book, while the rest who only care for adventure, will be
+students in spite of themselves."--_St. James' Gazette._
+
+
+=St. George for England=: A Tale of Cressy and Poitiers. By G. A.
+HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo, cloth,
+price $1.00.
+
+No portion of English history is more crowded with great events than
+that of the reign of Edward III. Cressy and Poitiers; the destruction of
+the Spanish fleet; the plague of the Black Death; the Jacquerie rising;
+these are treated by the author in "St. George for England." The hero of
+the story, although of good family, begins life as a London apprentice,
+but after countless adventures and perils becomes by valor and good
+conduct the squire, and at last the trusted friend of the Black Prince.
+
+"Mr. Henty has developed for himself a type of historical novel for
+boys which bids fair to supplement, on their behalf, the historical
+labors of Sir Walter Scott in the land of fiction."--_The
+Standard._
+
+
+=Captain's Kidd's Gold=: The True Story of an Adventurous Sailor Boy.
+By JAMES FRANKLIN FITTS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+There is something fascinating to the average youth in the very idea
+of buried treasure. A vision arises before his eyes of swarthy
+Portuguese and Spanish rascals, with black beards and gleaming
+eyes--sinister-looking fellows who once on a time haunted the Spanish
+Main, sneaking out from some hidden creek in their long, low schooner,
+of picaroonish rake and sheer, to attack an unsuspecting trading craft.
+There were many famous sea rovers in their day, but none more celebrated
+than Capt. Kidd. Perhaps the most fascinating tale of all is Mr. Fitts'
+true story of an adventurous American boy, who receives from his dying
+father an ancient bit of vellum, which the latter obtained in a curious
+way. The document bears obscure directions purporting to locate a
+certain island in the Bahama group, and a considerable treasure buried
+there by two of Kidd's crew. The hero of this book, Paul Jones Garry, is
+an ambitious, persevering lad, of salt-water New England ancestry, and
+his efforts to reach the island and secure the money form one of the
+most absorbing tales for our youth that has come from the press.
+
+
+=Captain Bayley's Heir=: A Tale of the Gold Fields of California. By
+G.A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by H. M. PAGET. 12mo,
+cloth, price $1.00.
+
+A frank, manly lad and his cousin are rivals in the heirship of a
+considerable property. The former falls into a trap laid by the latter,
+and while under a false accusation of theft foolishly leaves England for
+America. He works his passage before the mast, joins a small band of
+hunters, crosses a tract of country infested with Indians to the
+Californian gold diggings, and is successful both as digger and trader.
+
+"Mr. Henty is careful to mingle instruction with entertainment;
+and the humorous touches, especially in the sketch of John Holl,
+the Westminster dustman, Dickens himself could hardly have
+excelled."--_Christian Leader._
+
+
+=For Name and Fame=; or, Through Afghan Passes. By G. A. HENTY. With
+full-page Illustrations by GORDON BROWNE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+An interesting story of the last war in Afghanistan. The hero, after
+being wrecked and going through many stirring adventures among the
+Malays, finds his way to Calcutta and enlists in a regiment proceeding
+to join the army at the Afghan passes. He accompanies the force under
+General Roberts to the Peiwar Kotal, is wounded, taken prisoner, carried
+to Cabul, whence he is transferred to Candahar, and takes part in the
+final defeat of the army of Ayoub Khan.
+
+"The best feature of the book--apart from the interest of its
+scenes of adventure--is its honest effort to do justice to the
+patriotism of the Afghan people."--_Daily News._
+
+
+=Captured by Apes=: The Wonderful Adventures of a Young Animal
+Trainer. By Harry Prentice. 12mo, cloth, $1.00.
+
+The scene of this tale is laid on an island in the Malay Archipelago.
+Philip Garland, a young animal collector and trainer, of New York, sets
+sail for Eastern seas in quest of a new stock of living curiosities. The
+vessel is wrecked off the coast of Borneo and young Garland, the sole
+survivor of the disaster, is cast ashore on a small island, and captured
+by the apes that overrun the place. The lad discovers that the ruling
+spirit of the monkey tribe is a gigantic and vicious baboon, whom he
+identifies as Goliah, an animal at one time in his possession and with
+whose instruction he had been especially diligent. The brute recognizes
+him, and with a kind of malignant satisfaction puts his former master
+through the same course of training he had himself experienced with a
+faithfulness of detail which shows how astonishing is monkey
+recollection. Very novel indeed is the way by which the young man
+escapes death. Mr. Prentice has certainly worked a new vein on juvenile
+fiction, and the ability with which he handles a difficult subject
+stamps him as a writer of undoubted skill.
+
+
+=The Bravest of the Brave=; or, With Peterborough in Spain. By G. A.
+HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by H. M. PAGET. 12mo, cloth,
+price $1.00.
+
+There are few great leaders whose lives and actions have so completely
+fallen into oblivion as those of the Earl of Peterborough. This is
+largely due to the fact that they were over-shadowed by the glory and
+successes of Marlborough. His career as general extended over little
+more than a year, and yet, in that time, he showed a genius for warfare
+which has never been surpassed.
+
+"Mr. Henty never loses sight of the moral purpose of his work--to
+enforce the doctrine of courage and truth. Lads will read 'The
+Bravest of the Brave' with pleasure and profit; of that we are
+quite sure."--_Daily Telegraph._
+
+
+=The Cat of Bubastes=: A Story of Ancient Egypt. By G. A. HENTY. With
+full page Illustrations. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+A story which will give young readers an unsurpassed insight into the
+customs of the Egyptian people. Amuba, a prince of the Rebu nation, is
+carried with his charioteer Jethro into slavery. They become inmates of
+the house of Ameres, the Egyptian high-priest, and are happy in his
+service until the priest's son accidentally kills the sacred cat of
+Bubastes. In an outburst of popular fury Ameres is killed, and it rests
+with Jethro and Amuba to secure the escape of the high-priest's son and
+daughter.
+
+"The story, from the critical moment of the killing of the sacred
+cat to the perilous exodus into Asia with which it closes, is very
+skillfully constructed and full of exciting adventures. It is
+admirably illustrated."--_Saturday Review._
+
+
+=With Washington at Monmouth:= A Story of Three Philadelphia Boys. By
+JAMES OTIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+Three Philadelphia boys, Seth Graydon "whose mother conducted a
+boarding-house which was patronized by the British officers;" Enoch
+Ball, "son of that Mrs. Ball whose dancing school was situated on
+Letitia Street," and little Jacob, son of "Chris, the Baker," serve as
+the principal characters. The story is laid during the winter when Lord
+Howe held possession of the city, and the lads aid the cause by
+assisting the American spies who make regular and frequent visits from
+Valley Forge. One reads here of home-life in the captive city when bread
+was scarce among the people of the lower classes, and a reckless
+prodigality shown by the British officers, who passed the winter in
+feasting and merry-making while the members of the patriot army but a
+few miles away were suffering from both cold and hunger. The story
+abounds with pictures of Colonial life skillfully drawn, and the
+glimpses of Washington's soldiers which are given show that the work has
+not been hastily done, or without considerable study.
+
+
+=For the Temple=: A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem. By G. A. HENTY.
+With full-page Illustrations by S. J. SOLOMON. 12mo, cloth, price
+$1.00.
+
+Mr. Henty here weaves into the record of Josephus an admirable and
+attractive story. The troubles in the district of Tiberias, the march of
+the legions, the sieges of Jotapata, of Gamala, and of Jerusalem, form
+the impressive and carefully studied historic setting to the figure of
+the lad who passes from the vineyard to the service of Josephus, becomes
+the leader of a guerrilla band of patriots, fights bravely for the
+Temple, and after a brief term of slavery at Alexandria, returns to his
+Galilean home with the favor of Titus.
+
+"Mr. Henty's graphic prose pictures of the hopeless Jewish
+resistance to Roman sway add another leaf to his record of the
+famous wars of the world."--_Graphic._
+
+
+=Facing Death=; or, The Hero of the Vaughan Pit. A Tale of the Coal
+Mines. By G. A. HENTY. With full-page Illustrations by GORDON
+BROWNE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+"Facing Death" is a story with a purpose. It is intended to show that a
+lad who makes up his mind firmly and resolutely that he will rise in
+life, and who is prepared to face toil and ridicule and hardship to
+carry out his determination, is sure to succeed. The hero of the story
+is a typical British boy, dogged, earnest, generous, and though
+"shamefaced" to a degree, is ready to face death in the discharge of
+duty.
+
+"The tale is well written and well illustrated, and there is much
+reality in the characters. If any father, clergyman, or
+schoolmaster is on the lookout for a good book to give as a present
+to a boy who is worth his salt, this is the book we would
+recommend."--_Standard._
+
+
+=Tom Temple's Career.= By HORATIO ALGER. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+Tom Temple, a bright, self-reliant lad, by the death of his father
+becomes a boarder at the home of Nathan Middleton, a penurious insurance
+agent. Though well paid for keeping the boy, Nathan and his wife
+endeavor to bring Master Tom in line with their parsimonious habits. The
+lad ingeniously evades their efforts and revolutionizes the household.
+As Tom is heir to $40,000, he is regarded as a person of some importance
+until by an unfortunate combination of circumstances his fortune shrinks
+to a few hundreds. He leaves Plympton village to seek work in New York,
+whence he undertakes an important mission to California, around which
+center the most exciting incidents of his young career. Some of his
+adventures in the far west are so startling that the reader will
+scarcely close the book until the last page shall have been reached. The
+tale is written in Mr. Alger's most fascinating style, and is bound to
+please the very large class of boys who regard this popular author as a
+prime favorite.
+
+
+=Maori and Settler=: A Story of the New Zealand War. By G. A. HENTY.
+With full-page Illustrations by ALFRED PEARSE. 12mo, cloth, price
+$1.00.
+
+The Renshaws emigrate to New Zealand during the period of the war with
+the natives. Wilfrid, a strong, self-reliant, courageous lad, is the
+mainstay of the household. He has for his friend Mr. Atherton, a
+botanist and naturalist of herculean strength and unfailing nerve and
+humor. In the adventures among the Maoris, there are many breathless
+moments in which the odds seem hopelessly against the party, but they
+succeed in establishing themselves happily in one of the pleasant New
+Zealand valleys.
+
+"Brimful of adventure, of humorous and interesting conversation,
+and vivid pictures of colonial life."--_Schoolmaster._
+
+
+=Julian Mortimer=: A Brave Boy's Struggle for Home and Fortune. By
+HARRY CASTLEMON. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+Here is a story that will warm every boy's heart. There is mystery
+enough to keep any lad's imagination wound up to the highest pitch. The
+scene of the story lies west of the Mississippi River, in the days when
+emigrants made their perilous way across the great plains to the land of
+gold. One of the startling features of the book is the attack upon the
+wagon train by a large party of Indians. Our hero is a lad of uncommon
+nerve and pluck, a brave young American in every sense of the word. He
+enlists and holds the reader's sympathy from the outset. Surrounded by
+an unknown and constant peril, and assisted by the unswerving fidelity
+of a stalwart trapper, a real rough diamond, our hero achieves the most
+happy results. Harry Castlemon has written many entertaining stories for
+boys, and it would seem almost superfluous to say anything in his
+praise, for the youth of America regard him as a favorite author.
+
+
+="Carrots:"= Just a Little Boy. By MRS. MOLESWORTH. With
+Illustrations by WALTER CRANE. 12mo, cloth, price 75 cents.
+
+"One of the cleverest and most pleasing stories it has been our
+good fortune to meet with for some time. Carrots and his sister are
+delightful little beings, whom to read about is at once to become
+very fond of."--_Examiner._
+
+"A genuine children's book; we've seen 'em seize it, and read it
+greedily. Children are first-rate critics, and thoroughly
+appreciate Walter Crane's Illustrations."--_Punch._
+
+
+=Mopsa the Fairy.= By JEAN INGELOW. With Eight page Illustrations.
+12mo, cloth, price 75 cents.
+
+"Mrs. Ingelow is, to our mind, the most charming of all living
+writers for children, and 'Mopsa' alone ought to give her a kind of
+pre-emptive right to the love and gratitude of our young folks. It
+requires genius to conceive a purely imaginary work which must of
+necessity deal with the supernatural, without running into a mere
+riot of fantastic absurdity; but genius Miss Ingelow has and the
+story of 'Jack' is as careless and joyous, but as delicate as a
+picture of childhood."--_Eclectic._
+
+
+=A Jaunt Through Java=: The Story of a Journey to the Sacred
+Mountain. By Edward S. Ellis. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+The central interest of this story is found in the thrilling adventures
+of two cousins, Hermon and Eustace Hadley, on their trip across the
+island of Java, from Samarang to the Sacred Mountain. In a land where
+the Royal Bengal tiger runs at large; where the rhinoceros and other
+fierce beasts are to be met with at unexpected moments; it is but
+natural that the heroes of this book should have a lively experience.
+Hermon not only distinguishes himself by killing a full grown tiger at
+short range, but meets with the most startling adventure of the journey.
+There is much in this narrative to instruct as well as entertain the
+reader, and so deftly has Mr. Ellis used his material that there is not
+a dull page in the book. The two heroes are brave, manly young fellows,
+bubbling over with boyish independence. They cope with the many
+difficulties that arise during the trip in a fearless way that is bound
+to win the admiration of every lad who is so fortunate as to read their
+adventures.
+
+
+=Wrecked on Spider Island=; or, How Ned Rogers Found the Treasure. By
+JAMES OTIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+A "down-east" plucky lad who ships as cabin boy, not from love of
+adventure, but because it is the only course remaining by which he can
+gain a livelihood. While in his bunk, seasick, Ned Rogers hears the
+captain and mate discussing their plans for the willful wreck of the
+brig in order to gain the insurance. Once it is known he is in
+possession of the secret the captain maroons him on Spider Island,
+explaining to the crew that the boy is afflicted with leprosy. While
+thus involuntarily playing the part of a Crusoe, Ned discovers a wreck
+submerged in the sand, and overhauling the timbers for the purpose of
+gathering material with which to build a hut finds a considerable amount
+of treasure. Raising the wreck; a voyage to Havana under sail; shipping
+there a crew and running for Savannah; the attempt of the crew to seize
+the little craft after learning of the treasure on board, and, as a
+matter of course, the successful ending of the journey, all serve to
+make as entertaining a story of sea life as the most captious boy could
+desire.
+
+
+=Geoff and Jim=: A Story of School Life. By ISMAY THORN. Illustrated
+by A. G. WALKER. 12mo, cloth, price 75 cents.
+
+"This is a prettily told story of the life spent by two motherless
+bairns at a small preparatory school. Both Geoff and Jim are very
+lovable characters, only Jim is the more so; and the scrapes he
+gets into and the trials he endures will, no doubt, interest a
+large circle of young readers."--_Church Times._
+
+"This is a capital children's story, the characters well portrayed,
+and the book tastefully bound and well
+illustrated."--_Schoolmaster._
+
+"The story can be heartily recommended as a present for
+boys."--_Standard._
+
+
+=The Castaways=; or, On the Florida Reefs. By JAMES OTIS. 12mo,
+cloth, price $1.00.
+
+This tale smacks of the salt sea. It is just the kind of story that the
+majority of boys yearn for. From the moment that the Sea Queen dispenses
+with the services of the tug in lower New York bay till the breeze
+leaves her becalmed off the coast of Florida, one can almost hear the
+whistle of the wind through her rigging, the creak of her straining
+cordage as she heels to the leeward, and feel her rise to the
+snow-capped waves which her sharp bow cuts into twin streaks of foam.
+Off Marquesas Keys she floats in a dead calm. Ben Clark, the hero of the
+story, and Jake, the cook, spy a turtle asleep upon the glassy surface
+of the water. They determine to capture him, and take a boat for that
+purpose, and just as they succeed in catching him a thick fog cuts them
+off from the vessel, and then their troubles begin. They take refuge on
+board a drifting hulk, a storm arises and they are cast ashore upon a
+low sandy key. Their adventures from this point cannot fail to charm the
+reader. As a writer for young people Mr. Otis is a prime favorite. His
+style is captivating, and never for a moment does he allow the interest
+to flag. In "The Castaways" he is at his best.
+
+
+=Tom Thatcher's Fortune.= By HORATIO ALGER, JR. 12mo, cloth, price
+$1.00.
+
+Like all of Mr. Alger's heroes, Tom Thatcher is a brave, ambitious,
+unselfish boy. He supports his mother and sister on meager wages earned
+as a shoe-pegger in John Simpson's factory. The story begins with Tom's
+discharge from the factory, because Mr. Simpson felt annoyed with the
+lad for interrogating him too closely about his missing father. A few
+days afterward Tom learns that which induces him to start overland for
+California with the view of probing the family mystery. He meets with
+many adventures. Ultimately he returns to his native village, bringing
+consternation to the soul of John Simpson, who only escapes the
+consequences of his villainy by making full restitution to the man whose
+friendship he had betrayed. The story is told in that entertaining way
+which has made Mr. Alger's name a household word in so many homes.
+
+
+=Birdie=: A Tale of Child Life. By H. L. CHILDE-PEMBERTON.
+Illustrated by H. W. RAINEY. 12mo, cloth, price 75 cents.
+
+"The story is quaint and simple, but there is a freshness about it
+that makes one hear again the ringing laugh and the cheery shout of
+children at play which charmed his earlier years."--_New York
+Express._
+
+
+=Popular Fairy Tales.= By the BROTHERS GRIMM. Profusely Illustrated,
+  12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+"From first to last, almost without exception, these stories are
+delightful."--_Athenæum._
+
+
+=With Lafayette at Yorktown=: A Story of How Two Boys Joined the
+Continental Army. By JAMES OTIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+The two boys are from Portsmouth, N. H., and are introduced in August,
+1781, when on the point of leaving home to enlist in Col. Scammell's
+regiment, then stationed near New York City. Their method of traveling
+is on horseback, and the author has given an interesting account of what
+was expected from boys in the Colonial days. The lads, after no slight
+amount of adventure, are sent as messengers--not soldiers--into the
+south to find the troops under Lafayette. Once with that youthful
+general they are given employment as spies, and enter the British camp,
+bringing away valuable information. The pictures of camp-life are
+carefully drawn, and the portrayal of Lafayette's character is
+thoroughly well done. The story is wholesome in tone, as are all of Mr.
+Otis' works. There is no lack of exciting incident which the youthful
+reader craves, but it is healthful excitement brimming with facts which
+every boy should be familiar with, and while the reader is following the
+adventures of Ben Jaffreys and Ned Allen he is acquiring a fund of
+historical lore which will remain in his memory long after that which he
+has memorized from text-books has been forgotten.
+
+
+=Lost in the Canon=: Sam Willett's Adventures on the Great Colorado.
+By ALFRED R. CALHOUN. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+This story hinges on a fortune left to Sam Willett, the hero, and the
+fact that it will pass to a disreputable relative if the lad dies before
+he shall have reached his majority. The Vigilance Committee of Hurley's
+Gulch arrest Sam's father and an associate for the crime of murder.
+Their lives depend on the production of the receipt given for money
+paid. This is in Sam's possession at the camp on the other side of the
+cañon. A messenger is dispatched to get it. He reaches the lad in the
+midst of a fearful storm which floods the cañon. His father's peril
+urges Sam to action. A raft is built on which the boy and his friends
+essay to cross the torrent. They fail to do so, and a desperate trip
+down the stream ensues. How the party finally escape from the horrors of
+their situation and Sam reaches Hurley's Gulch in the very nick of time,
+is described in a graphic style that stamps Mr. Calhoun as a master of
+his art.
+
+
+=Jack=: A Topsy Turvy Story. By C. M. CRAWLEY-BOEVEY. With upward of
+Thirty Illustrations by H. J. A. MILES. 12mo, cloth, price 75
+cents.
+
+"The illustrations deserve particular mention, as they add largely
+to the interest of this amusing volume for children. Jack falls
+asleep with his mind full of the subject of the fishpond, and is
+very much surprised presently to find himself an inhabitant of
+Waterworld, where he goes though wonderful and edifying adventures.
+A handsome and pleasant book."--_Literary World._
+
+
+=Search for the Silver City=: A Tale of Adventure in Yucatan. By
+JAMES OTIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+Two American lads, Teddy Wright and Neal Emery, embark on the steam
+yacht Day Dream for a short summer cruise to the tropics. Homeward bound
+the yacht is destroyed by fire. All hands take to the boats, but during
+the night the boat is cast upon the coast of Yucatan. They come across a
+young American named Cummings, who entertains them with the story of the
+wonderful Silver City, of the Chan Santa Cruz Indians. Cummings proposes
+with the aid of a faithful Indian ally to brave the perils of the swamp
+and carry off a number of the golden images from the temples. Pursued
+with relentless vigor for days their situation is desperate. At last
+their escape is effected in an astonishing manner. Mr. Otis has built
+his story on an historical foundation. It is so full of exciting
+incidents that the reader is quite carried away with the novelty and
+realism of the narrative.
+
+
+=Frank Fowler, the Cash Boy.= By HORATIO ALGER, JR. 12mo, cloth,
+price $1.00.
+
+Thrown upon his own resources Frank Fowler, a poor boy, bravely
+determines to make a living for himself and his foster-sister Grace.
+Going to New York he obtains a situation as cash boy in a dry goods
+store. He renders a service to a wealthy old gentleman named Wharton,
+who takes a fancy to the lad. Frank, after losing his place as cash boy,
+is enticed by an enemy to a lonesome part of New Jersey and held a
+prisoner. This move recoils upon the plotter, for it leads to a clue
+that enables the lad to establish his real identity. Mr. Alger's stories
+are not only unusually interesting, but they convey a useful lesson of
+pluck and manly independence.
+
+
+=Budd Boyd's Triumph=; or, the Boy Firm of Fox Island. By WILLIAM P.
+CHIPMAN. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+The scene of this story is laid on the upper part of Narragansett Bay,
+and the leading incidents have a strong salt water flavor. Owing to the
+conviction of his father for forgery and theft, Budd Boyd is compelled
+to leave his home and strike out for himself. Chance brings Budd in
+contact with Judd Floyd. The two boys, being ambitious and clear
+sighted, form a partnership to catch and sell fish. The scheme is
+successfully launched, but the unexpected appearance on the scene of
+Thomas Bagsley, the man whom Budd believes guilty of the crimes
+attributed to his father, leads to several disagreeable complications
+that nearly caused the lad's ruin. His pluck and good sense, however,
+carry him through his troubles. In following the career of the boy firm
+of Boyd & Floyd, the youthful reader will find a useful lesson--that
+industry and perseverance are bound to lead to ultimate success.
+
+
+=The Errand Boy=; or, How Phil Brent Won Success. By HORATIO ALGER,
+JR. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+The career of "The Errand Boy" embraces the city adventures of a smart
+country lad who at an early age was abandoned by his father. Philip was
+brought up by a kind-hearted innkeeper named Brent. The death of Mrs.
+Brent paved the way for the hero's subsequent troubles. Accident
+introduces him to the notice of a retired merchant in New York, who not
+only secures him the situation of errand boy but thereafter stands as
+his friend. An unexpected turn of fortune's wheel, however, brings
+Philip and his father together. In "The Errand Boy" Philip Brent is
+possessed of the same sterling qualities so conspicuous in all of the
+previous creations of this delightful writer for our youth.
+
+
+=The Slate Picker=: The Story of a Boy's Life in the Coal Mines. By
+HARRY PRENTICE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+This is a story of a boy's life in the coal mines of Pennsylvania. There
+are many thrilling situations, notably that of Ben Burton's leap into
+the "lion's mouth"--the yawning shute in the breakers--to escape a
+beating at the hands of the savage Spilkins, the overseer. Gracie Gordon
+is a little angel in rags, Terence O'Dowd is a manly, sympathetic lad,
+and Enoch Evans, the miner-poet, is a big-hearted, honest fellow, a true
+friend to all whose burdens seem too heavy for them to bear. Ben Burton,
+the hero, had a hard road to travel, but by grit and energy he advanced
+step by step until he found himself called upon to fill the position of
+chief engineer of the Kohinoor Coal Company.
+
+
+=A Runaway Brig=; or, An Accidental Cruise. By JAMES OTIS. 12mo,
+cloth, price $1.00.
+
+"A Runaway Brig" is a sea tale, pure and simple, and that's where it
+strikes a boy's fancy. The reader can look out upon the wide shimmering
+sea as it flashes back the sunlight, and imagine himself afloat with
+Harry Vandyne, Walter Morse, Jim Libby and that old shell-back, Bob
+Brace, on the brig Bonita, which lands on one of the Bahama keys.
+Finally three strangers steal the craft, leaving the rightful owners to
+shift for themselves aboard a broken-down tug. The boys discover a
+mysterious document which enables them to find a buried treasure, then a
+storm comes on and the tug is stranded. At last a yacht comes in sight
+and the party with the treasure is taken off the lonely key. The most
+exacting youth is sure to be fascinated with this entertaining story.
+
+
+=Fairy Tales and Stories.= By HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN. Profusely
+Illustrated, 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+"If I were asked to select a child's library I should name these
+three volumes 'English,' 'Celtic,' and 'Indian Fairy Tales,' with
+Grimm and Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales."--_Independent._
+
+
+=The Island Treasure=; or, Harry Darrel's Fortune. By FRANK H.
+CONVERSE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+Harry Darrel, an orphan, having received a nautical training on a
+school-ship, is bent on going to sea with a boyish acquaintance named
+Dan Plunket. A runaway horse changes his prospects. Harry saves Dr.
+Gregg from drowning and the doctor presents his preserver with a bit of
+property known as Gregg's Island, and makes the lad sailing-master of
+his sloop yacht. A piratical hoard is supposed to be hidden somewhere on
+the island. After much search and many thwarted plans, at last Dan
+discovers the treasure and is the means of finding Harry's father. Mr.
+Converse's stories possess a charm of their own which is appreciated by
+lads who delight in good healthy tales that smack of salt water.
+
+
+=The Boy Explorers=: The Adventures of Two Boys in Alaska. By HARRY
+PRENTICE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+Two boys, Raymond and Spencer Manning, travel from San Francisco to
+Alaska to join their father in search of their uncle, who, it is
+believed, was captured and detained by the inhabitants of a place called
+the "Heart of Alaska." On their arrival at Sitka the boys with an Indian
+guide set off across the mountains. The trip is fraught with perils that
+test the lads' courage to the utmost. Reaching the Yukon River they
+build a raft and float down the stream, entering the Mysterious River,
+from which they barely escape with their lives, only to be captured by
+natives of the Heart of Alaska. All through their exciting adventures
+the lads demonstrate what can be accomplished by pluck and resolution,
+and their experience makes one of the most interesting tales ever
+written.
+
+
+=The Treasure Finders=: A Boy's Adventures in Nicaragua. By JAMES
+OTIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+Roy and Dean Coloney, with their guide Tongla, leave their father's
+indigo plantation to visit the wonderful ruins of an ancient city. The
+boys eagerly explore the dismantled temples of an extinct race and
+discover three golden images cunningly hidden away. They escape with the
+greatest difficulty; by taking advantage of a festive gathering they
+seize a canoe and fly down the river. Eventually they reach safety with
+their golden prizes. Mr. Otis is the prince of story tellers, for he
+handles his material with consummate skill. We doubt if he has ever
+written a more entertaining story than "The Treasure Finders."
+
+
+=Household Fairy Tales.= By the BROTHERS GRIMM. Profusely
+Illustrated, 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+"As a collection of fairy tales to delight children of all ages
+this work ranks second to none."--_Daily Graphic._
+
+
+=Dan the Newsboy.= By HORATIO ALGER, JR. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+The reader is introduced to Dan Mordaunt and his mother living in a poor
+tenement, and the lad is pluckily trying to make ends meet by selling
+papers in the streets of New York. A little heiress of six years is
+confided to the care of the Mordaunts. At the same time the lad obtains
+a position in a wholesale house. He soon demonstrates how valuable he is
+to the firm by detecting the bookkeeper in a bold attempt to rob his
+employers. The child is kidnaped and Dan tracks the child to the house
+where she is hidden, and rescues her. The wealthy aunt of the little
+heiress is so delighted with Dan's courage and many good qualities that
+she adopts him as her heir, and the conclusion of the book leaves the
+hero on the high road to every earthly desire.
+
+
+=Tony the Hero=: A Brave Boy's Adventure with a Tramp. By HORATIO
+ALGER, JR. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+Tony, a sturdy bright-eyed boy of fourteen, is under the control of
+Rudolph Rugg, a thorough rascal, shiftless and lazy, spending his time
+tramping about the country. After much abuse Tony runs away and gets a
+job as stable boy in a country hotel. Tony is heir to a large estate in
+England, and certain persons find it necessary to produce proof of the
+lad's death. Rudolph for a consideration hunts up Tony and throws him
+down a deep well. Of course Tony escapes from the fate provided for him,
+and by a brave act makes a rich friend, with whom he goes to England,
+where he secures his rights and is prosperous. The fact that Mr. Alger
+is the author of this entertaining book will at once recommend it to all
+juvenile readers.
+
+
+=A Young Hero=; or, Fighting to Win. By EDWARD S. ELLIS. 12mo, cloth,
+price $1.00.
+
+This story tells how a valuable solid silver service was stolen from the
+Misses Perkinpine, two very old and simple minded ladies. Fred Sheldon,
+the hero of this story and a friend of the old ladies, undertakes to
+discover the thieves and have them arrested. After much time spent in
+detective work, he succeeds in discovering the silver plate and winning
+the reward for its restoration. During the narrative a circus comes to
+town and a thrilling account of the escape of the lion from its cage,
+with its recapture, is told in Mr. Ellis' most fascinating style. Every
+boy will be glad to read this delightful book.
+
+
+=The Days of Bruce=: A Story from Scottish History. By GRACE AGUILAR.
+Illustrated, 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+"There is a delightful freshness, sincerity and vivacity about all
+of Grace Aguilar's stories which cannot fail to win the interest
+and admiration of every lover of good reading."--_Boston Beacon._
+
+
+=Tom the Bootblack=; or, The Road to Success. By HORATIO ALGER, JR.
+12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+A bright, enterprising lad was Tom the bootblack. He was not at all
+ashamed of his humble calling, though always on the lookout to better
+himself. His guardian, old Jacob Morton, died, leaving him a small sum
+of money and a written confession that Tom, instead of being of humble
+origin, was the son and heir of a deceased Western merchant, and had
+been defrauded out of his just rights by an unscrupulous uncle. The lad
+started for Cincinnati to look up his heritage. But three years passed
+away before he obtained his first clue. Mr. Grey, the uncle, did not
+hesitate to employ a ruffian to kill the lad. The plan failed, and
+Gilbert Grey, once Tom the bootblack, came into a comfortable fortune.
+This is one of Mr. Alger's best stories.
+
+
+=Captured by Zulus=: A story of Trapping in Africa. By HARRY
+PRENTICE. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+This story details the adventures of two lads, Dick Elsworth and Bob
+Harvey, in the wilds of South Africa, for the purpose of obtaining a
+supply of zoological curiosities. By stratagem the Zulus capture Dick
+and Bob and take them to their principal kraal or village. The lads
+escape death by digging their way out of the prison hut by night. They
+are pursued, and after a rough experience the boys eventually rejoin the
+expedition and take part in several wild animal hunts. The Zulus finally
+give up pursuit and the expedition arrives at the coast without further
+trouble. Mr. Prentice has a delightful method of blending fact with
+fiction. He tells exactly how wild-beast collectors secure specimens on
+their native stamping grounds, and these descriptions make very
+entertaining reading.
+
+
+=Tom the Ready=; or, Up from the Lowest. By RANDOLPH HILL. 12mo,
+cloth, price $1.00.
+
+This is a dramatic narrative of the unaided rise of a fearless,
+ambitious boy from the lowest round of fortune's ladder--the gate of the
+poorhouse--to wealth and the governorship of his native State. Thomas
+Seacomb begins life with a purpose. While yet a schoolboy he conceives
+and presents to the world the germ of the Overland Express Co. At the
+very outset of his career jealousy and craft seek to blast his promising
+future. Later he sets out to obtain a charter for a railroad line in
+connection with the express business. Now he realizes what it is to
+match himself against capital. Yet he wins and the railroad is built.
+Only an uncommon nature like Tom's could successfully oppose such a
+combine. How he manages to win the battle is told by Mr. Hill in a
+masterful way that thrills the reader and holds his attention and
+sympathy to the end.
+
+
+=Roy Gilbert's Search=: A Tale of the Great Lakes. By WM. P. CHIPMAN.
+12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+A deep mystery hangs over the parentage of Roy Gilbert. He arranges with
+two schoolmates to make a tour of the Great Lakes on a steam launch. The
+three boys leave Erie on the launch and visit many points of interest on
+the lakes. Soon afterward the lad is conspicuous in the rescue of an
+elderly gentleman and a lady from a sinking yacht. Later on the cruise
+of the launch is brought to a disastrous termination and the boys
+narrowly escape with their lives. The hero is a manly, self-reliant boy,
+whose adventures will be followed with interest.
+
+
+=The Young Scout=; The Story of a West Point Lieutenant. By EDWARD S.
+ELLIS. 12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+The crafty Apache chief Geronimo but a few years ago was the most
+terrible scourge of the southwest border. The author has woven, in a
+tale of thrilling interest, all the incidents of Geronimo's last raid.
+The hero is Lieutenant James Decker, a recent graduate of West Point.
+Ambitious to distinguish himself so as to win well-deserved promotion,
+the young man takes many a desperate chance against the enemy and on
+more than one occasion narrowly escapes with his life. The story
+naturally abounds in thrilling situations, and being historically
+correct, it is reasonable to believe it will find great favor with the
+boys. In our opinion Mr. Ellis is the best writer of Indian stories now
+before the public.
+
+
+=Adrift in the Wilds=: The Adventures of Two Shipwrecked Boys. By
+EDWARD S. ELLIS. 12mo, cloth, price, $1.00.
+
+Elwood Brandon and Howard Lawrence, cousins and schoolmates, accompanied
+by a lively Irishman called O'Rooney, are en route for San Francisco.
+Off the coast of California the steamer takes fire. The two boys and
+their companion reach the shore with several of the passengers. While
+O'Rooney and the lads are absent inspecting the neighborhood O'Rooney
+has an exciting experience and young Brandon becomes separated from his
+party. He is captured by hostile Indians, but is rescued by an Indian
+whom the lads had assisted. This is a very entertaining narrative of
+Southern California in the days immediately preceding the construction
+of the Pacific railroads. Mr. Ellis seems to be particularly happy in
+this line of fiction, and the present story is fully as entertaining as
+anything he has ever written.
+
+
+=The Red Fairy Book.= Edited by ANDREW LANG. Profusely Illustrated,
+12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+"A gift-book that will charm any child, and all older folk who have
+been fortunate enough to retain their taste for the old nursery
+stories."--_Literary World._
+
+
+=The Boy Cruisers=; or, Paddling in Florida. By ST. GEORGE RATHBORNE.
+12mo, cloth, price, $1.00.
+
+Boys who like an admixture of sport and adventure will find this book
+just to their taste. We promise them that they will not go to sleep over
+the rattling experiences of Andrew George and Roland Carter, who start
+on a canoe trip along the Gulf coast, from Key West to Tampa, Florida.
+Their first adventure is with a pair of rascals who steal their boats.
+Next they run into a gale in the Gulf and have a lively experience while
+it lasts. After that they have a lively time with alligators and divers
+varieties of the finny tribe. Andrew gets into trouble with a band of
+Seminole Indians and gets away without having his scalp raised. After
+this there is no lack of fun till they reach their destination. That Mr.
+Rathborne knows just how to interest the boys is apparent at a glance,
+and lads who are in search of a rare treat will do well to read this
+entertaining story.
+
+
+=Guy Harris=: The Runaway. By HARRY CASTLEMON. 12mo, cloth, price
+$1.00.
+
+Guy Harris lived in a small city on the shore of one of the Great Lakes.
+His head became filled with quixotic notions of going West to hunt
+grizzlies, in fact, Indians. He is persuaded to go to sea, and gets a
+glimpse of the rough side of life in a sailor's boarding house. He ships
+on a vessel and for five months leads a hard life. He deserts his ship
+at San Francisco and starts out to become a backwoodsman, but rough
+experiences soon cure him of all desire to be a hunter. At St. Louis he
+becomes a clerk and for a time he yields to the temptations of a great
+city. The book will not only interest boys generally on account of its
+graphic style, but will put many facts before their eyes in a new light.
+This is one of Castlemon's most attractive stories.
+
+
+=The Train Boy.= By Horatio Alger, Jr.
+12mo, cloth, price $1.00.
+
+Paul Palmer was a wide-awake boy of sixteen who supported his mother and
+sister by selling books and papers on one of the trains running between
+Chicago and Milwaukee. He detects a young man named Luke Denton in the
+act of picking the pocket of a young lady, and also incurs the enmity of
+his brother Stephen, a worthless follow. Luke and Stephen plot to ruin
+Paul, but their plans are frustrated. In a railway accident many
+passengers are killed, but Paul is fortunate enough to assist a Chicago
+merchant, who out of gratitude takes him into his employ. Paul is sent
+to manage a mine in Custer City and executes his commission with tact
+and judgment and is well started on the road to business prominence.
+This is one of Mr. Alger's most attractive stories and is sure to please
+all readers.
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note:
+
+Italic text is denoted by _underscores_ and bold text by =equal signs=.
+Punctuation has been standardised.
+
+The word assauge was changed to assuage.
+
+Variations in spelling, including dialect, have been retained as in the
+original publication.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Jack the Hunchback, by James Otis
+
+*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41708 ***