ed her wet cheek; and then
she went away with a feeling of comfort in her heavy heart.

'A year isn't so _very_ long,' murmured the boy to himself, and before
long fell asleep.

Next morning his parents started, and Jack, after the terrible
good-byes had been said, stood watching the retreating waggon until it
became like a speck in the distance. At last it vanished altogether,
and then the boy's loss seemed to overwhelm him. In a frenzy of grief
he rushed off to the woodshed, and wept as if his heart would break.

[Illustration: 'HE RUSHED OFF TO THE WOODSHED, AND WEPT AS IF HIS HEART
WOULD BREAK.']

But Aunt Sue guessed the tumult of sorrow that was going on in the
young heart, and she soon came to find him and offer comfort. She was
so like his dear mother, with her sweet voice and gentle manner, that
she soothed him in his trouble; and when she proposed he should help
her to get the house brushed out and tidied up, he gladly threw himself
into the work.

He was helping his aunt to lay the things on the table when his uncle
came in. He had not seen the boy before, and even he felt a bit sorry
for the poor lad, so he said not ungraciously, 'That's right, Sue, make
him useful. There's nothin' so good fur sick hearts as work.'

Poor Jack flushed at this speech, as it touched him on a sore point;
but he saw his uncle did not intend to hurt his feelings by the words,
and he tried to swallow the lump that would rise in his throat. The
three boys came in for supper, and Hal and Larry looked curiously to
see how Jack was taking his trouble; but he was determined they should
see no sign of tears from him, and they did not suspect that the little
heart was nearly bursting.

Steve was a most good-natured lad, rough to look at, but with a large
slice of his mother's kind heart, and he now looked quietly after Jack,
seeing that he had a good supper. He was very fond of his small
cousin, who in return was devoted to him, and the big boy felt sorry
when he noticed the effort Jack was making to keep up a brave face
before Hal and Larry.

Very soon Aunt Sue suggested he should go to bed, which he was glad to
do, and once there, he was so tired out with his grief he fell fast
asleep.

CHAPTER II.

JACK IN TROUBLE.

Over a year had passed away since Jack's parents had left Longview for
the mountains, and the boy was just nine and a half; but he was no
longer the same happy little fellow as when we first knew