sfactorily? Now _I'll_ ask one. Why not?"

"Oh, I suppose there is no objection, only he has never taken such a
long ride alone."

"Why, mother! I, a great fellow of fourteen! Of course I can go--that
is, please let me. What for, father?"

"I have had a little dividend of fifty dollars paid in on Miss Pamela's
morsel of horse-railway stock, and I know she always wants money as soon
as it comes."

"Probably much sooner, poor soul--" said Mrs. Weatherby.

"Unlike most other people, eh, ma'am?" interrupted Mr. Weatherby.

"--and more than ever now, since she has taken those two girls of her
good-for-nothing brother's. If they had been boys, they might have been
some use on her mite of a farm. When I said so to her, she said: 'Yes,
my dear, that's just the reason their mother's family don't want them;
but, you know, girls have to live as well as boys. We're pretty sure of
getting enough to eat, and as for the rest, I believe the Lord will
provide.'"

"Her faith will be rewarded just now," said Mr. Weatherby, "for this is
an unlooked-for dividend. The road has been doing better than usual of
late."

"I'm very glad," said his wife. "I dare say it will be a real godsend to
them all."

"I'll be off early in the morning," said Ned.

"All alone, and carrying money!" said his brother Tom, with an ominous
shake of the head.

Ned _did_ feel a little like a hero as he started on his long ride
through a thinly settled country, and over a road passing through miles
of thick woods. His suggestion that it might be well to carry a revolver
had been smiled at by his father, and frowned down by his mother, and he
had to confess to himself that he felt a little safer without it. His
half-desire for just a trifling adventure was not to be gratified, for
as noon approached he drew near Miss Pamela Plumstone's quaint old
farm-house, and was soon warmly welcomed by that sprightly lady.

"Why, Master Ned, I _am_ delighted! How good of you! Didn't you find the
roads very bad? And how _is_ your mother and the twins? And has your
father quite got over his rheumatism? And when is she going to get out
to see us again?"

"Very well, thank you. Yes, ma'am. No'm. Just as soon as the roads get
settled, she says," said Ned, attempting to answer her rather mixed
questions, as he perceived by her pause that she expected a reply.

"And what a fine big fellow you've grown to be, Master Ned! I _am_
astonished to see how you improve."

Ned fu