ugh having just failed in business, you took upon yourself
the care of a child?"

"I couldn't do anything else, aunt Dorcas. There she was, an' somebody
had to do it."

"You're a dear, good boy," and, leaning across the table, aunt Dorcas
patted one of Joe's hands, almost affectionately. "Where is the little
creature now?"

"We hired an old German woman down in Weehawken to take care of her for
a week, an' paid a dollar. You see the fellers lent us some cash when we
came away."

"But what made you leave, Joseph, if you were convinced it would be
impossible to earn any money in the country?"

"You see, we had to, when--"

Joe ceased speaking very suddenly. He could not bring himself to explain
to aunt Dorcas exactly why they had left New York, fearing lest she
would not believe him when he declared he was innocent of having
committed any crime, and it seemed to him it would be worse than any
ordinary lie to tell this kindly little woman that which was not
strictly true.

He hesitated, made several vain attempts at an explanation, and finally
said, his cheeks reddening with shame:

"I'd rather not tell you about that part of it, aunt Dorcas; but I
didn't do anything that wasn't jest straight, though all of 'em believe
I did."

The little woman thought she understood something of the situation, and,
once more caressing Joe's hand, said, kindly:

"I don't believe a boy who would try to help a child when he was in want
himself could do anything very wicked, Joseph. Sit right here while I do
the dishes, for that will give me a chance to think."

Then aunt Dorcas set about her household duties, while the boys remained
at the table, Plums sitting in such a position that he could gaze
through the window which overlooked the lane.

After five minutes or more had passed, during which time the silence had
been broken only by the rattling of dishes, aunt Dorcas asked,
abruptly:

"If you paid the child's board for a week, why do you feel that you must
go there to-morrow?"

"Because I promised Mis' Weber I'd come, an', besides, I want to make
certain the princess is all right."

Aunt Dorcas gave her undivided attention to the dishes once more, and
Joe was looking straight before him, but without seeing anything, for
his thoughts were of the advertisements which had made him a wanderer,
when he became aware of the singular gestures in which Master Plummer
was indulging.

It was some time before Joe understood tha