ce of the stranger,--a stranger
to Dory, though he did not appear to be such to the man of the house.
"I am glad to see you. Come in!"

"Thank you, Neighbor Brookbine. I am sorry to trouble you: but this
young man with me has not been to supper yet; and it makes my stomach
turn somersets to travel with any one who has not been to supper when it
is after nine o'clock in the evening."

"Come in! come in, Neighbor Hawlinshed! though I suppose you are to be
no longer my neighbor. The boy shall have the best supper we can get up
for him at this time of night."

Mr. Hawlinshed--for this appeared to be the name to which he
answered--and Dory followed him into the house. When he had gone to make
preparations for the supper, Dory's companion led him to one side of the
room.

"Will you do me a favor, Dory?" said Mr. Hawlinshed.

"I will try with all my might to do it," replied Dory.

"Don't say one word about what happened in the woods while you are in
this house," said Mr. Hawlinshed earnestly, and with much emotion.

"Oh, that's an easy one!" replied Dory gayly. "I could do that, and only
half try."

"Be very sure you don't speak a word about the matter, or even hint at
it in the most distant manner," continued Mr. Hawlinshed with painful
emphasis.

"Not a word or a hint, sir. No one shall squeeze it out of me with a
cider-press," protested Dory.

Mr. Brookbine came into the room, and Mr. Hawlinshed tried to compose
himself. The talk of the two men was upon subjects in which the boy felt
no interest. He was more concerned about his supper than about the
affairs of the two speakers. But he learned that Mr. Hawlinshed had been
a farmer, and had just sold his farm for forty-five hundred dollars in
cash. He was going to another part of the State to engage in the lumber
business.

Nothing was said which afforded Dory a clew to the strange event in the
woods. He fancied it had some connection with the money the farmer had
received for his farm. The hungry boy was called into another room by
Mrs. Brookbine to eat his supper. He found a plentiful meal on the
table, and he did ample justice to it. While he was eating, the farmer's
wife, who was a motherly sort of woman, plied him with questions; and he
answered all those that related to himself, but he was extremely careful
not to betray the confidence of his new friend.

Dory felt like a new creature when he had finished his supper, which he
thought was quite good enoug