do all my business, and send me your
bill the first day in every month. Is that satisfactory?"

"Yes, sir; and I thank you, too. As you're a church-going man I'll make
free to tell you, Squire, you've taken a load off my mind. I've got a
little girl sick these eighteen months; and I've only been waiting for
the means to send her to a great doctor in the city. Now your promise
makes my way clear."

"I'm glad you told me, Mr. Hunt. Mrs. Curtis will call and see your
wife. I dare say between them they will contrive some plan to restore
the child, with God's blessing. Come, Bertie, we will go."

Mr. Hunt and his wife followed to the gate, very much amused at the
sight of the donkey and his carriage.

The next morning, Mr. Curtis asked his wife,--

"How would you like to ride with me to the granite quarry? I am going to
buy underpinning for the house."

"If it isn't too far, I should enjoy it exceedingly."

"The drive there and back would be twenty miles; but you could lie down
at the hotel and rest, if you choose, while I am at the quarry."

"I will get ready at once then. Shall we take the children?"

"Yes, if Bertie can leave his cares at Woodlawn."

The gentleman glanced archly at his son as he said this, and Bertie
answered, laughing,--

"I think I can trust Tom and Jim till I get back; but I don't understand
what underpinnings are."

"You will learn that by and by. Now run and ask Nurse to dress Winnie,
for I see Mike has the carriage out."

When they reached the quarry, they found it so difficult to drive the
carriage near to the rough building where they were told the owner could
be found, that papa turned back and drove through one street to a fine
hotel. He called for a private parlor, and left mamma resting on the
sofa with Winnie to keep her company, while he took Herbert to the large
quarry, tied Duke, and went to see the huge blocks of granite that were
being cut out.

It was about an hour before they were seated in the carriage again with
their faces toward home.

"I wish you could have gone with me, Cecilia," papa began, "it is worth
seeing. I found some blocks of granite exactly the size I want."

"Are they already hewn, Lawrence?"

"No, dear! but they will be ready and on the ground before we want to
use them."

"What is _hewn_?" inquired Bertie.

"Don't you remember the rough pieces I selected, and those others so
smooth and polished next them?"

"Yes, sir."

"And didn't you se