fly with his father and
left the office.

When Quincy reached the Pettengill house it was a little after eight
o'clock. Hiram came out to help him put up the horse. "Anybody up?"
asked Quincy.

"Only Mandy and me," said Hiram. "Uncle Ike is up in his attic, and
'Zeke is up talkin' to his sister, and Mandy and me has been talkin' to
each other; and, say, Mr. Sawyer, did you meet Lindy Putnam up in Boston
to-day?"

"No," said Quincy between his shut teeth.

"Well, that's funny," said Hiram; "I heard Abner Stiles telling Strout
as how Miss Putnam told him that Mr. Sawyer had been to the banker's
with her to invest her money, and that Mr. Sawyer took her out to lunch
and then rode down to the station in a carriage and put her aboard the
train."

"There are a great many Mr. Sawyers in Boston, you must remember,
Hiram," remarked Quincy. "Anything else, Hiram?"

"Well, not much more," replied Hiram; "but Strout said that if you got
Lindy and her money and then cajoled the old couple into leavin' their
money to you, that it would be the best game of bunco that had ever been
played in Eastborough."

"Well, Strout ought to know what a good bunco game is," said Quincy.
"Have the horse ready by nine o'clock in the morning if you can get
over. Good night, Hiram," he said.

He passed through the kitchen, saying good night to Mandy, and went
straight to his own room. He sat and thought for an hour, going over the
events of the day.

"As soon as Uncle Jim is dead and buried," said he to himself, "I think
I will leave this town. As the children say when they play 'hide and go
seek,' I am getting warm."

CHAPTER XVI.

A PROMISE KEPT.

Quincy was up next morning at eight o'clock and ate his breakfast with
'Zekiel. 'Zekiel said his sister did not sleep well nights, and so would
not be down till later.

"Do you want the team this morning, Mr. Pettengill?" asked Quincy.

"No," said 'Zekiel, "but the Boston doctor wrote to Deacon Mason that he
was comin' down this afternoon to take that stuff off Huldy's arm, and
she wanted me to come up, so I shall be up there all the afternoon."

"That reminds me," said Quincy. "Will you tell Deacon Mason that I want
the nurse to stay until to-morrow and I will be up to see her at nine
o'clock?"

Quincy took up the reins and started for Eastborough Poorhouse.

He found his uncle weaker than on the day before. Quincy touched his
hand, but did not lift it from the bed. Jim poin