for some months, and
had begun to form bright plans for the future of her redeemed
first-born. But, alas! here seemed to be the end of all her hopes.
However, she tried to apologize for her son, and, in any event, she
begged Mr. Bright not to give "Dodd" up yet. But the master shook his
head gravely.

"And another thing," pursued Mrs. Weaver, "I think it will be best not
to let 'Dodd's' father know anything about this. He is such a
passionate man that I am sure he would fly into a rage and attempt to
beat the boy if he should find it out. And he and 'Dodd' are so much
alike! If they should get into a quarrel, I fear that one might kill
the other before they could be parted."

Yet these persons were father and son, and one of them was a successful
minister and a devout man--most of the time,

"You see," Mrs. Weaver continued, "that my husband has such a high
opinion of you as a man, and he knows that you have done so much for
'Dodd,' that if he should find out how abominably the boy has treated
you, he would be ten times more angry than ever. So let us keep the
matter to ourselves, if possible. I will see 'Dodd' as soon as he
comes home, and will try what I can do. And if prayer, or--"

"There, there," broke in Mr. Bright, quietly, as the brimming eyes of
the woman before him began to overflow, "do what you can with the boy,
and I will not give him up till I have to;" and so saying, he went on
to dinner.

But in a country town news travels fast. As soon as school was out at
noon, three-score tongues were busy retailing the mild scandal to
attentive listeners, whenever met.

Parson Weaver sat in the postoffice, reading a "daily" that had just
arrived, when a boy came in, and not noticing the Elder, began to tell
the tale to the knot of men who stood about. They heard the story
through, with many "I-told-you-so" nods, and then, one by one, slipped
out of the office. Last of all Parson Weaver went also.

He went straight to Mr. Bright's house and pulled the door bell
impetuously.

The teacher admitted him, and began immediately to try to soothe the
infuriated feelings of the parson, who was really very angry.

"I hope the matter may come out all right," said the teacher, "for I
trust that 'Dodd' will see things as they are, when he comes to
himself."

"Tell me just what happened," said the parson, with a kind of
desperation.

Mr. Bright carefully went over the particulars. When he had finished,