er's shoulder. "I must see about taking him home again."

"Shall I carry him for you, miss?" asked Jupp. "The down-train ain't
due for near an hour yet, and I dessay I can get my mate to look out for
me while I walks with you up the village."

"You are very kind," said she; "but, I hardly like to trouble you?"

"No trouble at all, miss," replied Jupp heartily. "Why, the little
gentleman's only a featherweight."

"That's because you're such a fine strong man. I find him heavy enough,
I can tell you."

Jupp positively blushed at her implied compliment. "I ain't much to
boast of ag'in a delicate young 'ooman as you," he said at last; "but,
sartenly, I can carry a little shaver like this; and, besides, look how
the snow's a coming down."

"Well, if you will be so good, I'd be obliged to you," interposed the
nurse hurriedly as if to stop any further explanations on Jupp's part,
he having impulsively stepped nearer to her at that moment.

"All right then!" cried he, his jolly face beaming with delight at the
permission to escort her. "Here, Grigson!"

"That's me!" shouted another porter appearing mysteriously from the back
of the office, in answer to Jupp's stentorian hail.

"Just look out for the down-train, 'case I ain't back in time. I'm just
agoin' to take some luggage for this young woman up to the village."

"Aye, just so," replied the other with a sly wink, which, luckily for
himself, perhaps, Jupp did not see, as, holding the mite tenderly in his
arms, with his jacket thrown over him to protect him from the snow, he
sallied out from the little wayside station in company with the nurse,
the latter carrying all Master Teddy's valuables, which she had re-
collected and tied up again carefully within the folds of the red
pocket-handkerchief bundle wherein their proprietor had originally
brought them thither.

Strange to say, the mite did not exhibit the slightest reluctance in
returning home, as might have been expected from the interruption of his
projected plan of going to London to see his "d'an'ma."

On the contrary, his meeting with Jupp and introduction to him as a new
and estimable acquaintance, as well as the settlement of all outstanding
grievances between himself and his nurse, appeared to have quite changed
his views as to his previously-cherished expedition; so that he was now
as content and cheerful as possible, looking anything but like a
disappointed truant.

Indeed, he more resembled