g over, laid a
sympathetic hand on his shoulder. Something in the friendly touch
brought a swift rush of tears to Alec's eyes. He was so homesick and
lonely, and it seemed so good to have some one to talk with who was
really interested in him. Dropping his face in his hands and leaning
forward with his elbows on his knees, he blurted out his trouble in
broken sentences.

[Illustration: "HE BLURTED OUT HIS TROUBLE IN BROKEN SENTENCES."]

He told the whole story, beginning with the missing coin; Ralph
Bently's insinuations and subsequent endeavour to fasten suspicion on
him; the disclosure of his father's disgrace; the gossip that had
caused him to drop out of the society and church, where he felt that
he was no longer wanted. Finally the habits he had fallen into, and
the money he had lost, and the foreman's prophecy of his discharge
from the factory at the end of the month.

"I tried to do right," he said in conclusion. "I had tried all my
life. I joined the church when I was no older than Mack, and I lived
just as straight as I knew how. But after that--when every one cut
me--it didn't seem as if it was any use. I just lost faith in
everything and gave up trying. I used to believe in Aunt Eunice's
idea of the eternal goodness. It made me feel so safe, somehow, to
think that, no matter what happened, we could never--

"'Drift beyond His love and care.'"

That He had set islands for us to come across at every turn. You
know. You remember that little map I made when I was getting well.
One of the islands was named for you, and one was the Isle of Roses,
because those flowers the Christian Endeavour society sent seemed to
put new courage into me, and led to the acquaintances and friendships
that helped me so much while I had them.

"But I've lost that feeling now. I'm cut loose from everything, and
you don't know how terribly adrift I feel. I'm just whirled along
from day to day, till I've almost come to the place it tells about in
Job, where there's nothing left to do but 'curse God and die.'"

As he paused, old Jimmy's voice broke in with hearty cheerfulness,
"Why, bless you, my boy, you're all in a fog. And do you know the
reason? You haven't the right Pilot aboard any more.

"The 'islands' are all round you, just the same, put there on purpose
for you, but you let the devil get his hand at the wheel, and he
keeps you steered away from 'em. You say you stopped praying? That
very moment he got