lank book under the cushion of
the wagon seat. He now inspected it for the first time. All of its
written pages were crossed out except one. This contained a list of
names of storekeepers in Stanley Junction.

Ralph drove to the store first named in the list. Within two hours he
had delivered all of the apples. It seemed that the storekeepers named
in the account book ordered certain fruits and vegetables regularly
from the owner of the team, the farmer himself coming to town to
collect for the same twice each month.

When Ralph got back home he unhitched the horses, tied them up near
the woodshed, and fed them from a bag of grain he found under the
wagon seat.

"What is this, I wonder?" he said, discovering a small flat parcel
under the wagon seat. The package resembled a store purchase of some
kind, so, for safe keeping, Ralph placed it inside the shed.

His mother had gone to visit a sick neighbor. The farmer boy was
sleeping heavily.

"Wake me before the boy leaves," he wrote on a card, leaving this for
his mother on the kitchen table. Then, pretty well tired out, Ralph
went to bed.

It was late in the afternoon when he awoke. He went down stairs and
glanced into the sitting room.

"Why, mother," he exclaimed, "where is the farmer boy?"

"He left two hours ago, Ralph."

"Is that so? Then why didn't you wake me up? I left a card for you on
the kitchen table."

"I did not find it," said the widow, and then a search revealed the
card where the wind had blown it under the stove.

"What did the boy say?" inquired Ralph.

"He told me his name was Zeph Dallas. I talked to him about his
misfortunes of the morning, and he broke down and cried. Then he went
out to the wagon. He found an account book there, and said you must
have delivered his load for him, and that he would never forget your
kindness."

"There was a package in the wagon," said Ralph.

"He spoke of that, and said some one must have stolen it."

"You are sure he didn't find it later?" inquired Ralph. "It was in
the woodshed, where I placed it for safe keeping."

Ralph went out to the shed, and found the package where he had left
it. He returned to the house with it, ate a hurried meal, and hastened
down town. He learned that Zeph had called at several stores. The
farmer boy appeared to have discovered Ralph's interest in his behalf,
and had driven home.

"I wonder what there is in the package?" mused Ralph, when he again
reached the cott