if that was great fun.

It was a hot day--such a day as one likes to creep along barefooted in
the wet grass by the brooks, fishing-pole in hand.

I thought of Bub, and how, if things had been all right, we'd been ready
to start off, and, well--

Then I heard some one pulling apart the vines against the fence, and the
next minute I sprung up as if I was shot, for Bub's voice, rather shaky,
called:

"Seth!"

I turned my back on him.

"Please, Seth!"

I wouldn't speak.

"Say, father will give me a licking, and if you'll only speak to your
father--say, Seth! Seth!"

I was half-way to the house.

His voice ought to have made anybody turn back, but I wouldn't stop. He
hadn't spoken to me for over six months and his father was to blame, and
now he spoke because he was going to get a licking. I didn't think any
boy would be such a coward. It didn't seem like Bub.

Once I felt like running over to his house--I had seen him sneak
back--then I was mad at myself for wanting to go there.

What wouldn't I have given afterwards if I had gone?

After supper, as father and I were passing the Ridlets', we heard Bub's
howls. They came from the barn.

Father had been almost as fond of Bub as of me. When he heard the cries,
he stopped short. For a minute we didn't hear any more, only Mr. Ridlet
scolding hot and heavy, and Bub trying to put in a word or two.

He was a dreadful quick-tempered man, and, when angry, hardly knew what
he did.

Bub's howls began again. Father couldn't stand it. He made for the barn.

"What's this?" said he.

There stood Bub, with his jacket off, and his father, with a big, tough
switch in his hand.

"This?" responded Mr. Ridlet, his teeth fairly chattering in his wrath.
"This? It's that this boy deserves the confoundedest whipping a boy ever
had--and I'm giving it to him!"

He lifted the switch, and Bub yelled before it touched him. I knew he
had been hurt pretty bad.

"Oh, now, neighbor," said father, putting out his hand to prevent the
switch from coming down, "your boy can't have done anything so terribly
bad. I've always thought a lot of your boy. Haven't you punished him
about enough?"

"Hasn't done anything bad, hasn't he? Oh, no! He hasn't been the one to
know about his mother's fork money, and not say a word, and let the
mischief be to play between two families? Take that!"

Down came the switch. Poor Bub's screams made my ears ring. I would not
have got that crack for twi