h he was my Mabel's father. I want him to go
to his poor wife and do right if he can. She loves him and is deluded
into believing the strangest things. Robberies and fires and anything
he thinks of are an excuse for not sending her money."

"Oh! he needs hanging," I said.

"No, no, Miss Minot; if he is unfit for our society he certainly would
find nobody to love him there; I am not seeking revenge, though his
punishment is sure enough. In two days more I shall be strong enough to
see him. Oh, I do hope Peter will find him!"

She needed rest, and I said:

"Now it is best for me to go, and when I come again I would like to
bring a beautiful friend."

"Oh, yes," she said, "and do come to-morrow!"

She bade me a reluctant "Good bye," and I told Matthias, I wanted him to
walk home with me.

My walk homeward with Matthias gave me the needed opportunity to talk
with him, where naught save the air wandering off to the hills could
hear us. I told him of the conversation which I had overheard, and also
that I proposed to take the burden on my own shoulders of revealing to
Miss Harris the fact of Mr. Benton being with us. "For," I said,
"Matthias, it will hardly be safe for you to bear all this. He believes,
I think, that you have helped Miss Harris to find him, and has been
looking out for trouble since you came to us, for he warned both Louis
and myself, and told us not to trust you. He did not, of course, say he
knew you; that would not have done at all. But I will do all she asks,
then your poor old shoulders will be relieved a little."

"Jes as you say, Miss Emly, pears like its queer nuf an' all happin too,
an' ef he had worn just dat mustaff, without de whiskers, I'd know him
yere straight off. I said long nuf, he set me on de tinkin
groun--um--um--here come Mas'r Louis lookin' arter his gal, I reckin,
mighty wise he is; I'd tote a long ways ef 'twas to help him."

Louis went to the village early and had returned to hear from Clara's
lips my morning discovery, and came to meet me, anxious to learn the
story of the poor lamb, which I rehearsed, having time to tell it all
during the rest of the walk, and ending with "it is strange enough to
make a book," just as we entered our gate.

Louis said the cloud must break ere long; and when Matthias left I
followed along the path behind him, feeling that Mr. Benton might again
assail him, and I was not mistaken.

"Look here," came from the angle, and "yas, sah," from Ma