as tired and hot, and decidedly dirtier-looking than could have been
expected, when Eames and Jowett came back from the fields.

"Time to get the pony to!" shouted the farmer. Geoff turned off to the
stable. He wanted to manage the harnessing alone; but, simple as it was,
he found it harder than it looked, and he would have been forced to
apply to Matthew, had not Jowett strolled into the stable. He felt sorry
for the boy, sorrier than he thought it well to show, when he saw his
flushed face and trembling hands, and in a trice he had disentangled the
mysteries of buckles and straps, and got all ready.

"Been working hard?" he said good-naturedly. "Seems a bit strange at
first."

"I don't mind the work; but--it does all seem very rough," said Geoff.

There was a slight quiver in his voice, but Jowett said no more till
they were jogging along on their way to the station. Geoff's spirits had
got up a little again by this time. He liked to feel the reins between
his fingers, even though the vehicle was only a milk-cart, and the steed
a sadly broken-winded old gray pony; and he was rather proud at having
managed to steer safely through the yard gate, as to which, to tell the
truth, he had felt a little nervous.

"Is there anything I can do for you on my way through town?" asked
Jowett. "I'll be in your part of the world to-night."

"Are you going to sleep at the livery stables?" asked Geoff.

Jowett nodded.

"I wish----" began the boy. "If I'd thought of it, I'd have written a
letter for you to post in London. But there's no time now."

Jowett looked at his watch--a very good silver watch it was--"I don't
know that," he said. "I can get you a piece of paper and an envelope at
the station, and I'll see that your letter gets to--wherever it is, at
once."

"Thank you," said Geoff. "And Jowett"--he hesitated. "You've been very
good to me--would you mind one thing more? There's some one I would like
to hear from sometimes, but I don't want to give my address. Could I
tell them--her--it's my sister--to write to your place, and you to send
it to me?"

"To be sure," said Jowett. "But I won't give my address in the country.
You just say to send on the letter to the care of

'MR. ABEL SMITH,
LIVERY STABLES,
MOWBRAY PLACE MEWS,'

and I'll see it comes straight to you. You won't want to give your name
maybe? Just put 'Mr. James, care of Abel Smith.'"

"Thank you," said Geoff, with a sigh of relief. "You see," he went o