'Bob' and 'All
right, old boy,' and ever so much gibberish. I didn't think about it
then, but when I heard that Bob was up there I thought may be he knew
something about it, and last night I wrote and asked him, and that's the
answer, and now it _is_ all right, and you are the best boy that ever
was, and I'm so glad!"

Here Jill paused, all out of breath, and Frank said, with an approving
pat on the head,--

"It won't do to have such a sharp young person round if we are going to
have secrets. You'd make a good detective, miss."

"Catch me taking naps before people again;" and Jack looked rather
crestfallen that his own words had set "Fine Ear" on the track. "Never
mind, I didn't _mean_ to tell, though I just ached to do it all the
time, so I haven't broken my word. I'm glad you all know, but you
needn't let it get out, for Bob is a good fellow, and it might make
trouble for him," added Jack, anxious lest his gain should be the
other's loss.

"I shall tell Mr. Acton myself, and the Captain, also, for I'm not going
to have my son suspected of wrong-doing when he has only tried to help a
friend, and borne enough for his sake," said Mamma, much excited by this
discovery of generous fidelity in her boy; though when one came to look
at it calmly, one saw that it might have been done in a wiser way.

"Now, please, don't make a fuss about it; that would be most as bad as
having every one down on me. I can stand your praising me, but I won't
be patted on the head by anybody else;" and Jack assumed a manly air,
though his face was full of genuine boyish pleasure at being set right
in the eyes of those he loved.

"I'll be discreet, dear, but you owe it to yourself, as well as Bob, to
have the truth known. Both have behaved well, and no harm will come to
him, I am sure. I'll see to that myself," said Mrs. Minot, in a tone
that set Jack's mind at rest on that point.

"Now do tell all about it," cried Jill, who was pining to know the whole
story, and felt as if she had earned the right to hear it.

"Oh, it wasn't much. We promised Ed to stand by Bob, so I did as well
as I knew how;" and Jack seemed to think that was about all there was to
say.

"I never saw such a fellow for keeping a promise! You stick to it
through thick and thin, no matter how silly or hard it is. You remember,
mother, last summer, how you told him not to go in a boat and he
promised, the day we went on the picnic. We rode up, but the horse ran
off ho