u can't afford to pay as much as you've been paying."

"Thank you, Andy, but it isn't that. My sister's lungs are weak, and
Dr. Townley has ordered her to move to a less exposed place. We are
going to move away from the town."

"I'm sorry," said Andy, and he was, for other reasons than because he
was about to lose a good place.

"We shall miss you, Andy."

"Just so," chimed in Miss Sophia, with a cough.

"You see how weak my sister's lungs are. It's on her account we are
going."

"Shan't you come back again, ma'am?"

"No, Andy. The doctor says it will never be safe for us to do so. I
hope you will get a good place."

"I hope so, ma'am; but you needn't think of that."

"We are prepared to give you a good recommendation. We feel perfectly
satisfied with you in every way."

"Just so," said Sophia.

"Thank you, ma'am, and you, too, Miss Sophia. I've tried to do my duty
faithfully by you."

"And you have, Andy."

"How soon do you go, ma'am?"

"Next week, if we can get away. The doctor says we can't get away too
soon. So you had better be looking around, to see if you can get a
place somewhere."

"I will, ma'am; but I'll stay with you till the last day. You'll need
me to pack up for you."

"Yes, we shall. To-morrow I'll write you the recommendation."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Andy did not sleep as much as usual that night. His wages were the
main support of his mother and sister, and he could think of no other
place in the village where he was likely to be employed. He had a
little money saved up, but he didn't like the idea of spending it.
Besides, it would not last long.

"I wish Dr. Townley wanted a boy," thought Andy. "I'd rather work for
the doctor than for anybody else in the village. He's a nice man, and
he cares just as much for poor folks as he does for rich folks. I am
sure he likes me better than he does Godfrey Preston."

But Dr. Townley already had a boy, whom he did not like to turn off.
Nor could he have afforded to pay Andy as high wages as he had
received from the Misses Grant. There really seemed to be no vacant
place in the village for our young hero to fill, and, of course, this
troubled him.

Next week the Misses Grant got away from the village. They gave Andy
as a present an old-fashioned silver watch, about the size and shape
of a turnip. Andy was glad to get it, old-fashioned as it was, and he
thanked them warmly.

The day afterward he was walking slowly along the village str