unless
certain that he did not owe it. Some years later Mr. Appleton
discovered proof that the actual signer of the note was a ship-master
of the same name, who had been dead many years. Thus, the finding of
the jury was justified. It was based on his good reputation and it
illustrates the truth of the proverb, which says: "A good name is
rather to be chosen than great riches." The root of Mr. Appleton's
good name was his good conduct. He was honest and honorable in all
things.

DINGFORD'S BABY.

That little brother of Hetty Dingford was the funniest baby on the
coast; and there were a good many of them, right around the river
mouth.

Flora thought so too, or rather she looked upon him in the light of a
puppy, as she had just raised a small family herself, and the baby had
associated so much with the little dogs, that she thought she owned
him too. She seemed to regard him as her especial charge, and used to
rush between him and cattle on the roads, and bark away strollers from
the door-yard; but she seemed to love it most on the beach.

Whenever she thought of it, she would leave the other children, in
whose charge the baby had been placed, and rush up to the little one,
and lick its face all over, and bark with a very funny sound. The baby
would pick up a handful of gravel and throw it at the dog, but it
never hit him, and then they would both laugh together.

One afternoon, Tony Dingford said he was going a crabbing, and then
Hetty and Polly and Janey and the baby all wanted to go and see him
off. Janey took a lovely little boat, that had been made for her by
her uncle, and Polly took her spade and pail to dig for shells. Hetty
took the baby, and she had to carry him every step of the way, and she
was only eight years old; he was a year and a half old and couldn't
walk very steady, but he could creep. Oh, how he could get over the
ground! He could go sidewise and backwards, like a crab, Tony said. He
thought he could talk, too, and such a lot of curious sounds as he
used to make. He looked very odd, winking his eyes and sticking his
tongue between his four little teeth, and he was up to all sorts of
tricks.

After awhile they came to the beach, right opposite the light-house--a
most delightful spot, and Hetty proceeded to deposit the baby on the
ground, when he came to the conclusion that he didn't want to be put
there, and he caught hold of her curly locks and held on for dear
life, and screamed li