s too busy. Lot of people getting ready for market and he
was wanted at home, he said, but he thought he would bring those few
strawberries and flowers.

"I told him, you know, how welcome you'd be," he continued. "Garden's
always open to you, ma'am. Come often. Him too."

He was at the door as he said this, and nodding and bowing he backed
out, while I followed him downstairs to open the door.

"Look here," he said, offending me directly by catching hold of one end
of my neckerchief, "you bring her over, and look here," he went on in a
severe whisper, "you be a good boy to her, and try all you can to make
her happy. Do you hear?"

"_Yes_, sir," I said. "I do try."

"That's right. Don't you worry her, because--because it's my opinion
that she couldn't bear it, and boys are such fellows. Now you mind."

"Yes, sir," I said, "I'll mind;" and he went away, while, when I
returned to the room where my mother was holding the flowers to her
face, and seeming as if their beauty and sweetness were almost more than
she could bear, I glanced towards the window, and there once more, with
his head just above the wall, and peering through the thick bristling
twigs, was that boy Shock, watching our window till old Brownsmith
reached his gate.

Hardly a week had passed before the old man got hold of me as I was
going by his gate, taking me as usual by the end of my tie and leading
me down the garden to cut some more flowers.

"You haven't brought her yet," he said. "Look here, if you don't bring
her I shall think you are too proud."

"He shall not think that," my mother said; and for the next week or two
she went across for a short time every day, while I walked beside her,
for her to lean upon my shoulder, and to carry the folding seat so that
she might sit down from time to time.

Upon these occasions I never saw Shock, and old Brownsmith never came
near us. It was as if he wanted us to have the garden to ourselves for
these walks, and to a great extent we did.

Of course I used to notice how often I had to spread out that chair for
her to sit down under the shady trees; but I thought very little more of
it. She was weak. Well, I knew that; but some people were weak, I
said, and some were strong, and she would be better when it was not so
hot.

CHAPTER FOUR.

A LESSON IN SWIMMING.

It was hot! One of those dry summers when the air seems to quiver with
the heat, and one afternoon, as I was in my old p