icture of a gorgeously-colored monkey and the head
and shoulders of an elephant.

"Ain't you goin' to put it back?" he asked.

"Not much," said the agent. "I don't rent that fence to the circus, or
menagerie, or whatever it is."

"Can I have it?"

"Findings are keepings," said the agent, "especially when they ain't
worth looking for; that's railroad rule, and I guess circus-companies
haven't got a better one."

The finder sat down on the platform, took a knife from his pocket, and
carefully cut the monkey and the elephant's head from the paper. Then
he walked to the end of the platform and looked cautiously in the
direction of the town. A broad road, crossed by a narrow street, led
from the station; into the street the little man hurried, believing
himself secure from observation, but just then the door of a coal-yard
office opened, and Judge Prency, who had been county judge, and Deacon
Quickset emerged. Both saw the new arrival, who tried to pass them
without being recognized. But the deacon was too quick for him;
planting himself in the middle of the sidewalk, which was as narrow as
the deacon was broad, he stopped the wayfarer and said,--

"Samuel, I hope you're not going back to your old ways
again,--fighting, drinking, loafing, and stealing?"

"No, deacon, I ain't. I'm a changed man."

"That's what they all say, Samuel," the deacon replied, not unkindly,
"but saying isn't doing. Human nature's pretty weak when it don't lean
on a stronger one."

"That's how I'm leanin', deacon."

"I'm glad to hear it, Samuel," said the deacon, offering his hand,
though in a rather conservative manner.

"Sam," said the judge, "I sentenced you, but I don't want you to think
hard of me and take it out of my orchard and chicken-coop. It wasn't
your first offence, you know."

"Nor the tenth, judge. You did just right. I hope 'twas a warnin' to
others."

"I think it was," said the judge, thrusting both hands into his pockets
and studying the wall of the station as if it were the record of his
own court. "I think it was; and here's my hand, Sam, and my best wishes
for a square start in life."

As the judge withdrew his hand he left behind a little wad of paper
which Sam recognized by sense of touch as the customary American
substitute for the coin of the realm. The poor fellow did not know what
to say: so he said nothing.

"Hurry along to your family, Sam. I hope you'll find them all well.
I've told my wife to see to