e had not done
for weeks. "Does Mrs. Bhaer know?" he asked, eagerly.

"Yes; and she is so happy I don't know what she will do to you," began
Mr. Bhaer, but got no farther, for here the boys came crowding about Dan
in a tumult of pleasure and curiosity; but before he had answered more
than a dozen questions, a voice cried out,

"Three cheers for Dan!" and there was Mrs. Jo in the doorway waving her
dish-towel, and looking as if she wanted to dance a jig for joy, as she
used to do when a girl.

"Now then," cried Mr. Bhaer, and led off a rousing hurrah, which
startled Asia in the kitchen, and made old Mr. Roberts shake his head as
he drove by, saying,

"Schools are not what they were when I was young!"

Dan stood it pretty well for a minute, but the sight of Mrs. Jo's
delight upset him, and he suddenly bolted across the hall into the
parlor, whither she instantly followed, and neither were seen for half
an hour.

Mr. Bhaer found it very difficult to calm his excited flock; and, seeing
that lessons were an impossibility for a time, he caught their attention
by telling them the fine old story of the friends whose fidelity to one
another has made their names immortal. The lads listened and remembered,
for just then their hearts were touched by the loyalty of a humbler pair
of friends. The lie was wrong, but the love that prompted it and the
courage that bore in silence the disgrace which belonged to another,
made Dan a hero in their eyes. Honesty and honor had a new meaning now;
a good name was more precious than gold; for once lost money could not
buy it back; and faith in one another made life smooth and happy as
nothing else could do.

Tommy proudly restored the name of the firm; Nat was devoted to Dan; and
all the boys tried to atone to both for former suspicion and neglect.
Mrs. Jo rejoiced over her flock, and Mr. Bhaer was never tired of
telling the story of his young Damon and Pythias.

CHAPTER XV. IN THE WILLOW

The old tree saw and heard a good many little scenes and confidences
that summer, because it became the favorite retreat of all the children,
and the willow seemed to enjoy it, for a pleasant welcome always met
them, and the quiet hours spent in its arms did them all good. It had
a great deal of company one Saturday afternoon, and some little bird
reported what went on there.

First came Nan and Daisy with their small tubs and bits of soap, for
now and then they were seized with a tidy fit, an