onument to him in his lifetime, and had gathered large
sums for that purpose during his absence abroad, he at once put a stop
to the project on his return home.--Am I wrong, dear Walter, in taking
John Howard for one of my special moral heroes?"

"Not a bit of it, dear aunt. I confess myself beaten; I give in; I hand
over the laurel crown to Amos: for I see that Howard's greatness of
character was shown especially in this, that he imposed upon himself a
work which he might have left undone without blame, and carried it out
through thick and thin as a matter of duty. Bravo, Howard! and bravo,
Amos, with your duty-work!--three cheers for you both! and one cheer
more for Aunt Kate and moral courage." So saying, with a low bow, half
in fun and half in earnest, to Miss Huntingdon and his brother, with a
request to the latter to learn the Canadian boat-song, "Row, Brothers,
Row," at his earliest convenience, he left the summer-house, taking his
two friends with him.

Amos, who had been silent during the latter part of the discussion,
lingered behind for a moment, and rising from his seat, took his aunt's
hand between his own, pressing it warmly as he said, in a voice subdued
and trembling with emotion,--"Thank you, dearest aunt; I see you partly
understand me now. Some day, I hope, you may understand me more fully."

CHAPTER SEVEN.

HARRY IN THE SECRET.

A week or more had passed since the conversation in the summer-house,
and all the family were seated at luncheon in the dining-room of
Flixworth Manor, when a shabby and dirty-looking note was handed to Amos
by the butler. Having hastily read it, Amos exclaimed in an agitated
voice, "Who brought this? where is he?"

"It's no one as I ever seed afore," replied Harry. "He said there was
no answer, but I was to take it in straight; and I doubt he's gone now
far enough away, for he was nothing but a rough-looking lad, and he ran
off when he had given me the note as fast as his legs would carry him."

"Nothing amiss, I hope?" said Miss Huntingdon kindly.

"I hope not," replied her nephew. He was evidently, however, greatly
troubled and confused, and looked nervously towards his father, whose
attention at the time was being given to a noble-looking dog which was
receiving a piece of meat from his hand.

"What's up now?" cried Walter, who, although he was learning to treat
his brother with more respect and consideration, was still rather on the
look-out for oppo