you who I was?" he gasped.

"No one; I guessed it."

"But I don't know you."

"That's true. We stopped in Plainfield a number of weeks ago, and
there I met your mother."

"And what did she say?" faltered Tom Inwold.

"She told me that you had run away with an auctioneer."

"And--and was that all?" went on the boy, his voice trembling with
emotion.

"No; she was very anxious to have you come home again. She missed you
very much, and she could not understand how you could have the heart
to leave her."

At these words, which Matt delivered very seriously, the tears sprang
into Tom Inwold's eyes. Evidently he was not hard-hearted, and had
been led astray purely by bad associates.

"I--I wish I was back home again," he said in a low voice.

"You do not like being an auctioneer's helper, then?"

"No, I don't. I might like you, but Gissem and Fillow treat me
awful."

"In what way?"

"Well, in the first place they don't half feed me, and then they don't
pay me the wages they promised."

"What did they promise you?"

"Five dollars a week to start on, and ten dollars when I was worth it.
I've been with them a long time, but I was never able to get a cent
out of them."

"Supposing you had the money, would you go home?" asked Matt kindly,
for he saw that the boy's better feelings had been touched.

"I don't know if I would dare. Ma might whip me and have me sent to
the reform school, or something like that."

"I don't think she would--not if you promise to turn over a new leaf.
I should think you would rather go home than remain where you have to
work for nothing."

"I guess I would go home if I had a railroad ticket and some clothes
fit to wear. You can see how this suit looks," and Tom Inwold showed
up his ragged elbows and patched trousers.

"I'll see if I can do something for you," said Matt.

When Andy came back he told his partner Tom Inwold's story. To this
the boy himself added the tale of his hardships while with the rival
auctioneers, and added that he was very sorry he had endeavored to do
any injury to the stock in the store.

"I believe he means it," said Matt, as he and Andy walked a little to
one side. "And I would like to do something for the lad, for his
mother's sake as much as his own."

"I think I can fix it," replied Andy. "I'll have a talk with this
Gissem."

"He ought to pay the boy something for his work."

"I reckon he will--when I tell him that he is liable to arrest for