y, "and who wouldn't be done with
them?"

But the old man shook his head sadly.

"If that were always true a man would soon be rid of his evil heart.
But," he continued, as if eager to turn the conversation, "you will be
talking with my woman about it. She's a wonderful wise woman, yon."

Somehow the opportunity came to Hughie to take the old man's advice. On
Saturday evening, just before leaving for home, he found himself alone
with Mrs. Finch sitting beside the open window, watching the sun go down
behind the trees.

"What a splendid sunset!" he cried. He was ever sensitive to the
majestic drama of nature.

"Ay," said Mrs. Finch, "the clouds and the sun make wonderful beauty
together, but without the sun the clouds are ugly things."

Hughie quickly took her meaning.

"They are not pleasant," he said.

"No, not pleasant," she replied, "but with the sunlight upon them they
are wonderful."

Hughie was silent for some moments, and then suddenly burst out, "Mrs.
Finch, does God forget sins, and will he keep them hid, from people, I
mean?"

"Ay," she said, with quiet conviction, "he will forget, and he will hide
them. Why should he lay the burden of our sins upon others? And if he
does not why should we?"

"Do you mean we need not always tell? I'd like to tell my--some one."

"Ay," she replied, "it's a weary wark and a lanely to carry it oor lane,
but it's an awfu' grief to hear o' anither's sin. An awfu' grief," she
repeated to herself.

"But," burst out Hughie, "I'll never be right till I tell my mother."

"Ay, and then it is she would be carrying the weight o' it."

"But it's against her," said Hughie, his hands going up to his face.
"Oh, Mrs. Finch, it's just awful mean. I don't know how I did it."

"Ye can tell me, laddie, if ye will," said she, kindly, and Hughie
poured forth the whole burden that had lain so long upon him, but he
told it laying upon Foxy small blame, for during those days, his
own part had come to bulk so large with him that Foxy's was almost
forgotten.

For some moments after he had done Mrs. Finch sat in silence, leaning
forward and patting the boy's bowed head.

"Ay, but he is rightly named," she said, at length.

"Who?" asked Hughie, surprised.

"Yon store-keepin' chiel." Then she added, "But ye're done wi' him and
his tricks, and ye'll stand up against him and be a man for the wee
laddies."

"Oh, I don't know," said Hughie, too sick at heart and too penetrated
with t