o his feelings in a sharp bark, but he never failed
to awaken immediately, with every appearance of the deepest abasement
and confusion at the unconscious transgression.

During a visit to the Rectory one day, Jud's eyes fell upon a book which
lay on Anice's table. It was full of pictures--illustrations depicting
the adventures and vicissitudes of a fortunate unfortunate, whose desert
island has been the paradise of thousands; whose goat-skin habiliments
have been more worthy of envy than kingly purple; whose hairy cap has
been more significant of monarchy than any crown. For the man who wore
these savage garments has reigned supreme in realms of romance, known
only in their first beauty to boyhood's ecstatic belief.

Jud put out his hand, and drawing the gold and crimson snare toward him,
opened it. When Anice came into the room she found him poring over it.
His ragged cap lay with Nib, at his feet, his face was in a glow, his
hair was pushed straight up on his head, both elbows were resting on the
table. He was spelling his way laboriously, but excitedly, through the
story of the foot-print on the sand. Anice waited a moment, and then
spoke:

"Jud," she said, "when you can read I will give you 'Robinson Crusoe.'"

In less than six months she was called upon to redeem her promise.

This occurred a few weeks after Craddock had been established at the
lodge at the Haviland gates. The day Anice gave Jud his well-earned
reward, she had a package to send to Mrs. Craddock, and when the boy
came for the book, she employed him as a messenger to the park.

"If you will take these things to Mrs. Craddock, Jud, I shall be much
obliged," she said; "and please tell her that I will drive out to see
her to-morrow."

Jud accepted the mission readily. With Nib at his heels and "Robinson
Crusoe" under his arm, three miles were a trivial matter. He trudged
off, whistling with keen delight. As he went along he could fortify
himself with an occasional glance at the hero and his man Friday. What
would he not have sacrificed at the prospect of being cast with Nib upon
a desert island?

"Owd Sammy" sat near the chimney-corner smoking his pipe, and making
severe mental comments upon the conduct of Parliament, then in session,
of whose erratic proceedings he was reading an account in a small but
highly seasoned newspaper. Sammy shook his head ominously over the
peppery reports, but feeling it as well to reserve his opinions for
a selec