.

Tony, who was reading, looked up to see his father shaking hands with
the red-whiskered man whom he had such good reason to remember.

The stranger nodded to Tony.

"So you're Job Loring's son, are you?" he said. "I tell you what it is,
Job, that chap isn't very big," pointing to Tony, "but he's a boy to be
proud of."

After this, he talked in low, earnest tones to Mr. Loring and Aaron, and
soon the three started together in the direction of Ashville.

Father and son did not return till nearly dark, and then they came with
quick, hopeful tread.

"Amanda," said Mr. Loring, eagerly, "what do you think? I've got every
cent o' my pay."

Mrs. Loring stopped her work in surprise.

"I'm glad for Tony's sake," she replied. "Now he can have his money.
He's been moping around the house like a shadow."

Mr. Loring looked thoughtful.

"I have been harsh with him sometimes, I s'pose, and I've said lot's o'
things ag'in the rich folks that I hadn't orter. There's one decent one,
anyway."

"Who's that?" his wife wanted to know.

"Mr. Morrison."

Tony came into the room at this moment, and caught the sound of the
name.

"What of him?" he asked.

Then Job Loring told his story:

"That chap who was here to-day worked with me'n Aaron, over on Scaly
Brook last winter, and the land we trespassed on belonged to this Mr.
Morrison. I didn't know it at the time. Morrison was away, but a lawyer
in Ashville advised Smart to take the hull lot o' logs, 'cause they was
forfeited. But there was one landin', or brow of logs, that could be
proved as come off of our permit, every stick of it, though _I_ didn't
know it. This brow was in the way of the others, and some o' the boys
attached it for their wages. Then they sent this red-whiskered man
through to see what Morrison was going to do about it. He came home
himself and agreed to pay every man, and to-day we got it."

Then he turned to Tony.

"How much did you make last winter?" he asked.

"A hundred and thirty-three dollars," replied Tony, omitting the odd
cents.

"Four dollars more than Aaron and me," said Mr. Loring.

He got up and paced across the room and back.

"I'll tell you what I'm going to do," he continued, speaking with some
effort, "I'm going to pay that all back to you, Tony--every cent of it."

He had expected to see Tony spring to his feet with a great outburst of
joy. Instead, he only shook his head and said, slowly:

"I don't want it; you can keep