r even her husband's assurances, to relieve the motherly
anxiety of good Mrs. Foster, or even to drive away the shadows from the
face of Annie.

No doubt, if Ford himself had known the state of affairs in his family
circle, they would have been relieved earlier; for, even while they were
talking about him, he had reached the end of his adventures, and was
already in the house. It had not so much as occurred to him that his
mother would hear of the disaster to the pig and the railway-train until
he himself should tell her; and so he had made sure of his supper down
stairs before reporting his arrival. He might not have done it perhaps;
but he had entered the house by the lower way, through the area door,
and that of the dining-room had stood temptingly open, with some very
eatable things spread out upon the table.

That had been too much for Ford, after his car-ride, and his smash-up,
and his long walk.

Now, at last, up he came, three stairs at a time, brimful of new and
wonderful experiences, to be more than a little astonished by the manner
and enthusiasm of his welcome.

"Why, mother," he exclaimed, when he got a chance for a word, "you and
Annie couldn't have said much more if I'd been the pig himself!"

"The pig!" said Annie.

"Yes, the pig that stopped us. He and the engine won't go home to their
families to-night."

"Don't make fun of it, Ford," said his mother gently. "It's too serious
a matter."

Just then his father broke in, almost impatiently, with,--

"Well, Ford, my boy, have you done your errand? or shall I have to see
about it myself? You've been gone two days."

"Thirty-seven hours and a half, father," replied Ford, taking out his
watch. "I've kept an exact account of my expenses. We've saved the cost
of advertising."

"And spent it on railroading," said his father, with a laugh.

"But, Ford," asked Annie, "did you find a house?--a good one?"

"Yes," added Mrs. Foster: "now I'm sure you're safe, I do want to hear
about the house."

"It's all right, mother," said Ford confidently. "The very house you
told me to hunt for. Neither too large nor too small. I've only seen the
outside of it, but every thing about it is in apple-pie order."

There were plenty of questions to answer now, but

Ford was every way equal to the occasion. Some of his answers might have
made Mrs. Kinzer herself open her eyes, for the material for them had
been obtained from her own neighbors.

Ford's report, in