s grief broke out afresh as he again looked at the poor little
stiff form that had been a source of so much comfort and joy to him.

"Try not to think of that now, but think of yourself, and of what you
will do," said the man, soothingly, anxious to divert Toby's mind from
the monkey's death as much as possible.

"I don't want to think of myself, and I don't care what I'll do," sobbed
the boy, passionately.

"But you must; you can't stay here always, and I will try to help you to
get home, or wherever it is you want to go, if you will tell me all
about it."

It was some time before Toby could be persuaded to speak or think of
anything but the death of his pet; but the young man finally succeeded
in drawing his story from him, and then tried to induce him to leave
that place and accompany him to the town.

"I can't leave Mr. Stubbs," said the boy, firmly; "he never left me the
night I got thrown out of the wagon an' he thought I was hurt."

Then came another struggle to induce him to bury his pet; and finally
Toby, after realizing the fact that he could not carry a dead monkey
anywhere with him, agreed to it; but he would not allow the young man to
help him in any way, or even to touch the monkey's body.

He dug a grave under a little fir-tree near by, and lined it with wild
flowers and leaves, and even then hesitated to cover the body with the
earth. At last he bethought himself of the fanciful costume which the
skeleton and his wife had given him, and in this he carefully wrapped
his dead pet. He had not one regret at leaving the bespangled suit, for
it was the best he could command, and surely nothing could be too good
for Mr. Stubbs.

Tenderly he laid him in the little grave, and, covering the body with
flowers, said, pausing a moment before he covered it over with earth,
and while his voice was choked with emotion, "Good-bye, Mr. Stubbs,
good-bye! I wish it had been me instead of you that died, for I'm an
awful sorry little boy now that you're dead!"

Even after the grave had been filled, and a little mound made over it,
the young man had the greatest difficulty to persuade Toby to go with
him; and when the boy did consent to go at last he walked very slowly
away, and kept turning his head to look back just so long as the little
grave could be seen.

Then, when the trees shut it completely out from sight, the tears
commenced again to roll down Toby's cheeks, and he sobbed out, "I wish I
hadn't left him.