ispered to her, to say,--

"I think you had better thank that young man, and give him a mug of
coffee."

"Well," said the little girl, "I will." So she went to a cupboard at the
side of the room, and took down a tin mug. She poured out some coffee
from a coffee-pot, and put in some milk and sugar, and then brought it
to Jonas, and asked him if he wouldn't like a little coffee. Jonas
thanked her, and took the coffee; and he liked it very much.

After this, Jonas harnessed his horses again, and went on. He traveled
until nearly noon, and then he arrived at the town where he was to leave
his load. He had a letter to a merchant, who had bought the produce of
the farmer, and, in a very short time, his load was taken out, and the
other articles put in, which he was to carry back in exchange. He had
some money given him by the merchant, in part payment for his load of
produce. It was in bank-notes, and he put it into his waistcoat pocket,
and pinned it in.

Then he set out on his return. His load was light, the road was smooth,
and his horses, though they had traveled fast, had been driven
carefully, and they carried him rapidly over the ground. It was the
middle of the afternoon, however, before he set out, and the days were
then so short, that the sun soon began to go down. He had to ride quite
into the evening, before he reached the place where he was to stop for
the night.

He put up his horses, and then went into the house. He called for some
supper, for his own provisions had long since been exhausted. After
supper, he carried out something for Franco, whom he had left in the
sleigh in the barn, lying upon a good warm buffalo, to watch the
property.

"Franco," said he, "here is your supper."

Franco jumped up when he heard Jonas's voice, and leaped out of the
sleigh. He took his supper, and Jonas, after once more feeding his
horses, went out, and shut the door, leaving Franco to finish his bone
by himself.

Jonas went back into the tavern, and took his seat by the fire. There
was a table before the fire, with a lamp upon it; and there were one
or two books and an old newspaper lying upon another table, in the
back part of the room. Jonas looked at the books, but they were not
interesting to read. One was a dictionary. He read the newspaper for
some time, and then he took the lamp up, and began to look at some
pictures of the prodigal son, which were hung up upon the wall over the
mantel-piece.

Beyond the pi