Do you mean William Buckley, with whom you are living?"

"Yes, sir."

"Why, he would do if he were rich, or had rich friends who would go
on his bond. You see, the guardian would have to give a bond to the
extent of a great many thousand dollars for the faithful performance
of his duties. Could Buckley do that?"

"I'm afraid not, sir. He ain't rich, himself, an' I never heard of his
havin' any rich friends."

"Whom else can you think of?"

"Won't Mrs. Burnham do?"

"Oh, no! it might be necessary for the guardian to bring suit against
her."

"There ain't anybody else that I can think of," said Ralph,
despairingly, after a moment's pause.

"Well, then, I don't know what we shall do. If you can't find some one
who is able to qualify for this trust, we may as well stop right here.
I guess we've done all we can for the boy, Mr. Craft?"

Craft nodded and smiled. He was enjoying the lawyer's diplomacy with
Ralph, exceedingly.

The lad was again in the depths of anxiety. He looked from one to the
other of the men with appealing eyes.

"Ain't they some way to fix it, Mr. Sharpman?" he said. "Can't you do
sumpthin' for me?"

"Oh! I couldn't be your guardian, my boy, the law wouldn't allow that;
and Mr. Craft, here, hasn't money enough. I guess we'll have to give
up the idea of restoring you to your mother, and let you go back to
work in the breaker again."

"That'd be too bad," said the boy. "Don't do that; I couldn't stan'
that--now. Can't you see my mother again, Mr. Sharpman, an' get her to
take me--some way?"

"It can't be done, Ralph. There's only one way to fix it, and that is
to get a guardian for you. If we can't do that, we may as well give it
all up."

The anxiety and disappointment expressed in the lad's face was pitiful
to look upon.

Then Craft spoke up.

"Ralph has been very unkind and ungrateful to me," he said, "but I
have always been his best friend. I saved his life; and I've spent
time and money and lost my health on his account. But I'm willing to
do him a favor yet, if he thinks he can appreciate it. I'll act as his
guardian and take care of his property for him, if he'll be a good boy
and do as we tell him."

"I'll do everything I can," said Ralph, eagerly, "'ceptin' to go back
an' live with you; everything--but Mr. Sharpman said you wasn't rich
enough."

"No, I ain't," responded the old man; "and I don't know how to get
around that difficulty, unless Mr. Sharpman will help me and