suddenly.

The doctor produced a modest bill, at half the current rate, amounting
to twenty-five dollars. It meant a good week's business out of Nancy's
pocket, but she paid it without objection. "I want the body sent to my
tavern out on the Monk Road, sir, and ye can complete all arrangements
fer a decent Christian funeral, an' I'll pay all the expenses," she
said, before leaving. She went to the telegraph office and left
instructions to wire to all the known addresses of Miss Sophia Piper;
then, satisfied with her day's work, she hurried home.

The tavern bar was closed during the two days while the body lay in the
little parlor, and callers came and went on tiptoe, and spoke only in
whispers. A steady stream of roughly dressed people, river-men and
their friends, struggled over the four miles of snowy road to pay their
last respects to the dead, and some brought flowers bundled awkwardly
in their arms.

The night preceding the funeral, two great, long-limbed fellows,
wearing top-boots, came stumbling into the tavern, more noisily because
of their clumsy efforts at gentleness. Nancy knew them as former
friends of Tom Piper, so she led them in at once. The men took the
limit of the time usually spent there, and yet they were loath to go,
and Nancy guessed that they had something further to say but scarcely
knew how to commence. She encouraged them a little, and finally one
spoke up.

"Ye see, Mistress McVeigh, Tommy wus one o' the boys, an' a pal o'
ours, an' we hate to see ye stuck for the full expenses o' this
funeral. God knows we owe him plenty fer the generous way he stayed by
his mates, an' we don't want him receivin' charity from no one. We had
a meetin' o' the lot o' us down town las' night, and every man put in
his share to make Tom right with the world. We've got fifty-five
dollars here, and we want ye to take it."

The men counted out the money on the table, silver and bills of small
amounts, until it made quite an imposing pile, then they placed a piece
of paper upon it, with the words, written very badly, "For Tommy, from
his pals."

They looked towards Nancy, and her averted face was wet. She did not
sob, yet tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Sophia Piper was home in ten days, having received a message after
considerable delay. The resident minister met her at the station and
comforted her as well as his kindly soul knew how. He told her all the
circumstances connected with the