he went away, he'd come home right side up with care."

"Little boys should be seen and not heard," said Mrs. Perkins.

"'Always be prepared for the worst.' That's my motto."

"And my motto is 'Wait and Hope!'" said a familiar voice outside the
door.

"It's Ben!" exclaimed Tony joyfully.

The door was thrown open and there stood Ben, with little Emma's
hand in his.

"Aunt Jane," he said, "here's little Emma, come to live with you."

"My dear, I am very glad to see you," said Mrs. Bradford.

Emma looked in her gentle face, and liked her at once.

"Will you be my aunt, too?" she asked.

"Yes, my dear."

"Tony, come here and be introduced," said Ben.

Tony was bashful at first, but it was not very long before he and
Emma were merrily playing together.

"So you're railly back, Benjamin?" said old Mrs. Perkins, rather
disappointed.

"Yes, ma'am. How's James?"

"Loafin' round, as usual," said his affectionate relative. "Boys are so
shiftless."

"They may be," admitted Ben good-naturedly, "but they get hungry
sometimes. Aunt Jane, is there anything to eat in the house?"

"I will set the table at once," said his aunt. "The little girl must be
hungry, too."

"You're undertakin' a great responsibility, Mrs. Bradford," said
Mrs. Perkins. "The little girl will be a great care to you."

"I don't look upon it in that light," said Mrs. Bradford. "I am glad
to have her here."

"Humph! You will talk different a month from now. But I must be
goin'."

After dinner Ben bethought himself of the envelope which Mr.
Somerby had given him.

He opened it, when a bank-note dropped to the floor. Picking it
up, he saw, to his amazement, that it was a fifty-dollar bill. With
sparkling eyes he read the letter, or rather these few lines which
were penciled on a half-sheet of note paper:

"I have been interested in your story, and beg your acceptance
of the enclosed as a slight help and encouragement. Should you ever
need advice or assistance, I shall be glad to have you call upon me."
"Frederic Somerby"

"What do you think of that, Aunt Jane?" said Ben in a tone of
exultation. "Hasn't my motto worked pretty well, after all? Isn't
it better to 'Wait and Hope' than to give up and get discouraged?"

"Yes, Ben, I begin to think you are right."

"We are better off than when I was at work in the factory."

"Yes, Ben; we can get along very comfortably."

"I have been thinking