looked at their beautiful young grove,
they were more than satisfied.

Before the end of the year the proposed railroad was built, and its
advent made a tremendous rise in the value of land.

The boys had had many excellent offers for their land before, but
invariably declined to consider them. As the depot had been built very
near them, they knew their place must advance rapidly.

However, shortly after the erection of the depot, they received an offer
of seven thousand dollars for the unimproved ten acres, and after a
short consultation, decided to accept it. Dave had not seen his people
for nearly two years, and was anxious to visit them. Tom, who was alone
in the world, was to remain and look after their grove.

So a few weeks later saw Dave walking up the lane to the old homestead.
Knowing how particular his father was, he was greatly surprised at the
thriftless look of everything. A man was hobbling across the yard as he
approached, and Dave saw with dismay that the haggard face belonged to
his father.

Their meeting may be imagined, and Dave soon knew of the broken leg and
the long, hard winter following it, with no one to look after things and
unpaid bills accumulating rapidly.

"A sorry home-coming, my boy," said his father, with a wan smile.

But Dave's story quickly changed the aspect of things. The bills were
paid; pinching want was a thing of the past.

And then Dave talked and argued until his parents agreed to return with
him and spend the winter in Florida, and give that genial climate a
chance to make his father well and strong again.

[_This Story began in No. 21._]

JACK STANWOOD;

or,

FROM OCEAN TO OCEAN.

BY JAMES H. SMITH.

CHAPTER XIII.

I BREAK JAIL THROUGH NO EFFORTS OF MY OWN.

I was handed over to the custody of a little man, with big, staring
eyes, and a magnified head of hair that made him look like a gun-swab.
This was Mr. Janks, the jailor.

He stood looking at me for some moments, swinging a bunch of keys on his
finger, and then said, mournfully, "So, you've come, have you?" which
made me think that he must have dreamed of my coming.

Then he took up a small lamp, and, after examining me from head to foot
as if I were some strange animal, he gave vent to a dismal groan, and
asked me if I was hungry.

Receiving a negative answer, he groaned again, and beckoned me to follow
him.