have given it up in despair, and allowed the three logs to
escape. But Winn Caspar was not inclined to give up anything he had
once undertaken. Having determined to do a certain thing, he would
stick to it "like a dog to a root," as one of the mill-hands had said
of him. So those logs had to go back inside of that boom, because Winn
had made up his mind that they should; but they went so reluctantly,
and gave him so much trouble, that it was long after dark and some
hours past supper-time before the job was completed.

When Winn at length returned to the raft he was wet, tired, and hungry,
though very proud of his accomplished task. He was shivering too, now
that his violent exertions were ended, for the sky had become overcast,
and a chill wind was moaning through the pine-trees.

"I wonder if I can't find something to eat here?" he said to himself.
"I'm good and hungry, that's a fact, and they must have had supper up
at the house long ago." Entering the "shanty," and feeling carefully
about, the boy at length found matches and lighted a lamp.

Hello! There was plenty to eat; in fact, there was a regular spread at
one end of the table, with plate, cup and saucer, knife, fork, and
napkin, all neatly arranged as though he were expected. "What does it
mean?" thought Winn; and then his eye fell on a bit of folded paper
lying in the plate. It was a note which read as follows:

"DEAR BROTHER,--As you didn't come home to supper, I thought perhaps
you were going to spend the night on the raft, and so brought yours
down here. You can heat the tea on the stove. I'm awfully sorry I
said anything to make you feel badly. Please forget it, and forgive
your loving sister,----ELTA."

"Bless her dear heart!" cried the boy. "She is the best sister in the
world. The idea of her asking my forgiveness, when it is I who should
ask hers. And I will ask it, too, the very minute I see her; for I
shall never be happy until we have kissed and made up, as we used to
say when we were young ones. I guess, though, I'll eat the supper she
has brought me first. And that's a good idea about heating the tea,
too. I can get dry by the stove at the same time. I'll have a chance
to see Elta before bedtime, and she'd feel badly if I didn't eat her
supper anyway."

All of which goes to show how very little we know of what even the
immediate future may bring forth, and that if we put off for a single
hour doing that which ought to b