plan. Your
mother is to go too. She is to be my guest on the trip. Oh, yes, Mrs.
Jackson. That is the other part of our plan. I shall be very forlorn
while these three leather makers are rushing about among the tanneries
and warehouses. They won't want to take me with them--nor am I at all
sure I should care to go if they did. So I am depending for my pleasure
on your companionship, you see."

With charming grace she bent forward and put her hand pleadingly on Mrs.
Jackson's.

"You won't refuse Peter's mother this favor, will you?" she begged.

Mrs. Jackson covered the hand with her own slender one and when she
answered her voice quivered with emotion.

"You are very, very kind, both you and Mr. Coddington," she answered. "I
have no words to thank you; but believe me, while I heartily appreciate
your generosity, I feel that too much has already been done for Nat and
me--far more than I should have accepted had I realized that it was Mr.
Coddington himself and not the company who was doing it. Do not consider
me ungracious in being unwilling to add this favor to the others. I
would rather be under obligations to you and Mr. Coddington than to any
one else in the world if it were possible. Nat shall go. The trip will
be a wonderful education for him and he will, I am sure, work hard in
the future to repay you for your kindness; but I could not accept such a
gift."

Unconsciously Mrs. Jackson's chin lifted, and her figure drew itself up.

"Oh, but _I_ want you to go," broke in Peter.

Smiling, she shook her head.

"I think, if you will pardon my frankness, you are making too much of a
very slight thing, Mrs. Jackson," declared Mr. Coddington. "Come, be
honest. You are too proud to accept this trip from Mrs. Coddington and
me. Isn't that it? You doubt her wanting you as a traveling companion.
But there you wrong her. She really does want you. It would be a genuine
favor to her, and the obligation would be entirely on our side, you
see."

"I think your kindness blinds you to your real motive, Mr. Coddington,"
Mrs. Jackson returned.

"Then listen. I will tell you a story. Long ago, at the time of the
Civil War, my father----" Mrs. Jackson started, then recovered herself;
but there was no question that his words had caught her keenest
attention.

Imperturbably he went on with his tale.

"My father, who was a fearless young Northerner, was sent forward to
carry a dispatch through the Southern lines. It was a da