ld not have been much
hardship to walk across the fields on such a glorious morning.

"Going to see your cousin off?" said Uncle Richard, just as breakfast
was over. "You wouldn't mind the walk back, Tom?"

"Oh no, uncle," said the boy, who felt startled that such a remark
should be made when he was thinking about the walk.

But Tom was not destined to go across to the station, for Uncle James
interposed.

"No, no, don't send him away," he said. "I have not had an airing in my
bath-chair for two days, and I fancy that is why I feel so exhausted
this morning."

"Oh, I don't mind," said Sam; "and besides," he added importantly, "I
shall be thinking of business all the time."

"At last," said Tom to himself, as his cousin stepped leisurely into the
fly and lit a cigarette.

"On'y just time to ketch that there train, sir," said the driver, who,
feeling no fear of his bony horse starting, was down out of his seat to
hold open the fly-door.

"Then drive faster," said Sam coolly.

"Wish he'd show me how," muttered the driver, as he closed the door and
began to mount to his seat, scowling at his slow-going horse.

"Good-bye, clodhopper," said Sam, toying with his cigarette, as he threw
himself back in the fly without offering his hand.

"Good-bye, Sam," replied Tom. "All right, driver;" and the wheels began
to revolve.

"He thinks Uncle Richard 'll leave him all his money," muttered Sam, as
they passed out of the swing-gate. "All that nice place too, and the
old windmill; but he don't have it if I can do anything."

"There's something wrong about me, I suppose," said Tom to himself, as
he turned down the garden, and then out into the lane, where he could
look right away over the wild common-land, and inhale the fresh warm
breeze. "Poor old chap though, I'm sorry for him!" he muttered. "Fancy
having to go back to London on a day like this."

Then from the bubbling up of his spirits consequent upon that feeling of
release as from a burden which had come over him, Tom set off running--
at first gently, then as hard as he could go, till at a turn of the lane
he caught sight of Pete Warboys prowling along with his dog a couple of
hundred yards away.

The dog caught sight of Tom running hard, uttered a yelp, tucked its
tail between its legs, and began to run. Then Pete turned to see what
had startled the dog, caught sight of Tom racing along, and, a guilty
conscience needing no accuser, took it for granted t