n big black
letters that the boy wasn't hurt."

"It was most kind of you!" said Nealie, flushing and paling. "I do not
know how I should have had the courage to find my way up here but for
those last words, and I am so very, very grateful to you for being so
kind to Rumple."

"Tcha!" cried Mrs. Warner, making a funny clicking noise with her
tongue. "Come in and have some supper, all of you; though where we can
put seven of you to sleep is more than I can say, for we are pretty full
with our own lot; but we will manage somehow, don't you fret."

"Oh, but, please, we have our own supper things, and we always sleep in
the wagon; that is, we girls sleep in the wagon, and the boys have two
mattresses underneath, so we never have to trouble anyone," said Nealie
hastily.

"What a fine idea!" cried Mrs. Warner, holding up her hands in
astonishment. "It makes you so independent of hotels and that sort of
thing; besides, these wayside houses are not many of them suitable
places for young people to stay at. But you are not going to eat your
own supper when you come to see me, not if I know it. Come along into
the kitchen, all of you, there is plenty to eat, only you have caught us
all in the rough."

"But, please, we must look after Rocky, that is our horse, before we
have our own supper; we always do," said Nealie, feeling as if the
stormy day was going to have a peaceful ending, seeing that they were to
find a supper all ready for them, instead of having to cook it for
themselves.

"Tom will see to your horse, and a fine creature it is too. But Peek &
Wallis always do supply good cattle; we often have their horses out
here. Tom is my eldest, and he is downright smart with horses. Tom, Tom,
come and lend a hand, will you?"

At the sound of his mother's shout Tom came hurrying out from the back
door; but he was so dreadfully shy, when he saw Nealie and Sylvia
standing by the horse, that he was just going to make a bolt for it, and
pretend that he had business in another direction, only just then Nealie
began to unharness the animal, setting about her task with such an air
of being accustomed to it that he suddenly forgot to be awkward and
nervous, walking up to the wagon and saying, in a matter-of-fact tone:
"Here, Miss, I'll look to your animal, and give him his supper and a rub
down, while you go in with Mother and get a feed for yourself."

"You are very kind," said Nealie, "but I will just get his supper corn
from t