y do you stay so low? Why not come up
again?"

"Will's tone was full of sympathy.

"God knows I would like to come up again."

"You can, and be back in your old place, owning your own boat, too."

"Yes," said Aunt Stanshy, eagerly, "and fishing from the barn, just the
same as before."

"You are all kind, very kind. It does me good," and poor Tim actually
smiled at the prospect. "What would my sister, who has clung to me, say?
Wouldn't she be taken aback?"

The tears were again in the drunkard's eyes.

"Good deal of the man there yet," thought Will. "Your sister might be
taken aback, but in that kind of way that would help you forward. Come,"
he said, aloud, "I will go into my room and write a pledge for you, and be
back in a moment."

Tim looked intently at the pledge of total abstinence that Will brought.

"If--if--I had some one to sign with me, some one to stand with me," he
murmured.

"I will," said the fisherman, stepping forward, and now recognized as a
previous acquaintance.

"You, John Fisher, will you?"

"Yes, I have taken a drop now and then, but I'll sign and stand with you.
I don't want to get into the--"

"Dock, where I was?" asked Tim.

"No, I am sure I don't."

"And that's the very place where drop-people may fetch up. I was a
drop-taker once. I will sign, and God help me!"

"O he will," said Aunt Stanshy, encouragingly. Charlie now saw that her
eyes were redder than ever.

After the name of Timothy Tyler came the name of John Fisher.

"Now you will make those at home happy," said Will.

But only those with whom Tim made his home really knew how happy it made
them. How great was the change there! Young Tim speedily began to rally,
sitting up that very day, while Ann went round the house singing.

Charlie came up the next day with a delicacy from Aunt Stanshy for the
patient.

"Tell Aunt Stanshy to wipe out every thing, and we will start once more,"
was the message that Ann sent off by Charlie.

"It is all wiped out," was Aunt Stanshy's answer, and the two soon came
together and joined hands.

The barn-door toward the dock was now open, and, in a humble way, the firm
of "Tyler & Fisher" began business, drying their fish on the flakes
adjoining Aunt Stanshy's barn, while in the barn itself they stored their
possessions, as might be necessary.

A note from Mr. Walton arrived about that time. It was written in his
frank, simple, hearty way, congratulating both the men on the st