must, that the injury to him
would be almost irreparable.

In consequence of the merchant's free expression of opinion, by noon
nearly all of the villagers knew of Fred's discharge and his
dishonesty--or rather what they supposed and were willing to accept as
his dishonesty.

They further coupled this episode with the bar room occurrence, and at
once decided that Worthington was a dissipated young scamp, and
whatever good opinions they might have held of him before were
straightway forgotten.

Thus was Fred rated by the people of Mapleton, many of whom he met on
coming from the mill. As he passed up the street towards his home some
of them spoke to him in a strained, unnatural manner, others looked at
him in a knowing way, and a few small boys crowded about him, as though
he was on exhibition.

Here and there, also, curious feminine heads appeared at the windows,
and though Fred walked with his eyes apparently fixed upon the ground,
they were turned upward sufficiently to catch glimpses of certain well
known forms, and he believed himself the subject of their thoughts and
conversation.

Once he raised his head as if by an irresistible impulse, for he was
then passing the residence of Dr. Dutton. Why he did so he could not
satisfy himself, for he half expected to see Miss Nellie at the window,
and he dreaded meeting her eyes; yet there was a strange fascination
about the house, and with this sense of dread, strong as it was, he was
conscious of a much stronger desire to look on her sweet face, hoping
that her eyes might show at least a kindly feeling towards him, if
nothing more. But instead of Nellie he saw her mother, who seemed
looking directly at him.

"She must have heard everything from the new clerk," thought Fred, and
he fancied that in his single hasty glance he saw a look of mingled
sympathy and sorrow.

He knew her for a noble, tender hearted woman, one who had shown him
many a kindness, and who possessed such delicacy of feeling that she had
never referred in his presence to that wretched night when he called
there in a state of intoxication.

When our young friend reached home, he was despondent, as you may
imagine. He threw himself upon the lounge, and thought over the
occurrences of the morning--of his unsuccessful attempt to get work, and
of the general attitude of the people--and it seemed to his young and
sensitive mind that he could not bear their unjust suspicions.

Then he remembered th