bled with another boy, and especially a boy like
Hughie. And how is she to-day, Thomas?" continued Mrs. Murray, as Thomas
stood in dull silence before her.

"She's better," said Thomas, answering more quickly than usual, and with
a certain eagerness in his voice. "She's a great deal better, and Hughie
will do her no harm, but good."

Mrs. Murray looked at Thomas as he spoke, wondering at the change in his
voice and manner. The heavy, stolid face had changed since she had last
seen it. It was finer, keener, than before. The eyes, so often dull,
were lighted up with a new, strange fire.

"She's much better," said Thomas again, as if insisting against Mrs.
Murray's unbelief.

"I am glad to hear it, Thomas," she said, gently. "She will soon
be quite well again, I hope, for she has had a long, long time of
suffering."

"Yes, a long, long time," replied Thomas. His face was pale, and in his
eyes was a look of pain, almost of fear.

"And you will come to see her soon?" he added. There was almost a
piteous entreaty in his tone.

"Yes, Thomas, surely next week. And meantime, I shall let Hughie go with
you."

A look of such utter devotion poured itself into Thomas's eyes that
Mrs. Murray was greatly moved, and putting her hand on his shoulder,
she said, gently, "'He will give His angels charge.' Don't be afraid,
Thomas."

"Afraid!" said Thomas, with a kind of gasp, his face going white.
"Afraid! No. Why?" But Mrs. Murray turned from him to hide the tears
that she could not keep out of her eyes, for she knew what was before
Thomas and them all.

Meantime Hughie was busy putting into his little carpet-bag what he
considered the necessary equipment for his visit.

"You must wear your shoes, Hughie."

"Oh, mother, shoes are such an awful bother planting potatoes. They get
full of ground and everything."

"Well, put them in your bag, at any rate, and your stockings, too. You
may need them."

By degrees Hughie's very moderate necessities were satisfied, and with a
hurried farewell to his mother he went off with Thomas. At the gate they
picked up Fusie and Davie Scotch, and went off to the Cameron's for the
seed potatoes, Hughie's heart lighter than it had been for many a day.
And all through the afternoon, and as he drove home with Thomas on
the loaded bags, his heart kept singing back to the birds in the trees
overhead.

It was late in the afternoon when they drove into the yard, for the
roads were still bad in t