dy travelling home in his father's cart. It happened
in this way. Aunt Debby heard that Mr. St. Clair had been seen driving
off, and knew he must have taken the wrong horse and cart, for Mr.
Stimpcett's was still standing near the mill. Therefore, as Moses had
already waited until after supper, she let him take his father's horse
and cart and drive home behind a man with an ox team who was going by a
roundabout way to Gilead.

Now as soon as Moses had driven off, Aunt Debby locked her doors and
went to an evening meeting, so that when Mr. St. Clair came there on
foot, with Maggy Brien and her bag and bundle, to find Moses, he found
no one. He questioned some boys standing by a fence, and they told him
that Moses had gone home in his father's cart, behind an ox team. Maggy
Brien began to cry again. "Don't cry, dear," said Mr. St. Clair. "I'll
hire a buggy."

He hired from the stable a buggy, a fast horse, and a driver, and away
they started for Gilead, and reached Mr. Stimpcett's house at about half
past eight o'clock in the evening. Moses had not arrived.

Mr. St. Clair found Mrs. Stimpcett, with her bonnet and shawl on,
walking the floor, sobbing and sighing and wringing her hands. Grandma,
also crying, was wrapping a bottle of the Sudden Remedy in a piece of
newspaper.

"Oh, how _is_ Moses?" cried Mrs. Stimpcett. "_Will_ it have to be taken
off?"

"Is not Moses here?" asked Mr. St. Clair, in a mild voice.

"Here!" cried Mrs. Stimpcett. "How can he be here, when he has broken
his leg? I am going to him as soon as Mr. Stimpcett can borrow a horse."

Mr. St. Clair thought that Moses must have fallen from the cart on his
way home; but before he had time to speak, Mrs. Odell came in.

"Where is my niece?" she cried. "Where is Evelyn?"

[Illustration: "'HERE SHE IS,' SAID MR. ST. CLAIR."]

"Here she is," said Mr. St. Clair, presenting Maggie Brien.

"What do you mean?" shrieked Mrs. Odell. "That my niece? No! no! no! Oh,
Evelyn! Evelyn! Evelyn! Dear child, where are you?"

Maggie Brien began to cry bitterly.

"Alas! what a wretch I am, to have made this mistake!" cried Mr. St.
Clair. "But I'll find your Evelyn. I'll go for a horse. I'll take this
child back. Don't cry, little girl. I won't rest till I find your
Evelyn;" and he rushed from the house, almost knocking down several
children in the passageway--the Stimpcett children; for Obadiah, Debby,
and little Cordelia had been awakened by the noise, and had c