t his foot caught in a coil of barbed wire as he started over to the
auditor with them and it was at that moment that Steve came to the
station door to get something and Mr. Follet called out, "Here, Steve,
hand these over to the gentleman." The boy started to obey, but when
he turned and faced the auditor he stood rooted to the floor, his face
white and eyes staring.

"What ails you?" said Mr. Follet sharply, noticing him. The auditor
looked quickly up also, and the boy found his voice.

"Samuel Polk," he said slowly.

The auditor smiled, and replied pleasantly, "That's my name, son, and
where did you ever know me?"

"Ye sent me the watch," said the boy.

"Is that so!" exclaimed Mr. Polk. "So you are the boy I met in the
woods! Well, this is marvellous, sure, that we should meet here. How
did you ever get so far away from Hollow Hut?" he went on smiling.

The boy told him briefly, while Mr. Follet listened with lively
interest. When the pitiful tale of the loss of the watch was told,
Steve added sturdily:

"But I got yer fox skin in spite of 'em, an' I've been a-workin' to
git to the city to give it ter ye."

"Working to take the skin to me when you have no watch," said the
auditor, gently.

"Course," said the boy; "hit was yourn jes' the same," and the auditor
reached out and drew the boy to him tenderly, thinking of all the
hardship he had borne in the effort to be square and honest.

"You are the boy for me," he said with a glimmer in his eyes that made
Steve feel queer, and he broke away, saying, "I'll go and brung ye the
skin."

He was back as quickly as his sturdy legs could bring him, and laid
the fox skin on Mr. Polk's knee. It was gravely accepted and admired,
and then Steve returned to his work with all the earnestness he could
summon after the excitement of this unexpected meeting.

When Mr. Follet and Mr. Polk came over to dinner the acquaintance of
the two who had met that November day in the mountains was continued
and Mr. Polk was greatly pleased to find that the boy was already
"larnin'," and astonished at the progress which had been made during
the summer. On the way back to the store he said to Mr. Follet:

"I've taken a great fancy to that boy; he ought to have a good
education. I am all alone in the world and no good to anybody. If it's
all square with you, I'll take that boy to the city with me this
afternoon when I leave at four-thirty and put him in school
somewhere."

Mr. Foll