atter, that me and his
uncle had arranged matters, and that I should hold him to the
contract."

"I'm afraid he'll be dainty about his vittles. He didn't eat much
dinner."

"Wait till he gets to work, mother. I guess he'll have appetite enough.
I mean he shall earn his board, at any rate."

"I hope we won't have no trouble with him, Aaron."

"You needn't be afraid, mother."

"Somehow, Aaron, you never did manage to keep boys very long," said Mrs.
Bickford, dubiously.

"Because their folks were weak, and allowed 'em to have their own way.
It'll be different with this boy."

"What makes you think so?"

"Because his uncle is anxious to get rid of him. He told me the boy,
till lately, had imagined he was goin' to have property. He's supported
him out of charity, dressin' him like a gentleman, sendin' him to
school, and spendin' a pile of money on him. Now he thinks it about time
to quit, and have the boy learn a trade. Of course the boy'll complain,
and try to beg off, but it won't be no use. Stephen Watson won't make no
account of what he says. He keeps a horse himself, and has promised to
have him shod at my shop."

"Well, it may be for the best; I hope so."

Aaron Bickford felt a good deal of confidence in himself. He understood
very well that Kit was averse to working in his shop, but he meant to
make him do it.

"I'd like to see the boy I can't master," he said to himself,
complacently. "Years hence, when the boy has a forge of his own, he'll
thank me for perseverin' with him. There's money to be made in the
business. Why, when I began I wasn't worth a hundred dollars, and I
owed for my anvil. Now I own this house and shop, and I've got a tidy
sum in the bank."

This was true. But it must be added that the result was largely due to
the pinching economy which both he and his wife had practiced.

When Mr. Bickford woke up the next morning it was half-past five
o'clock.

"Strange how I came to oversleep," he said. "I guess I must have been
more tuckered out than I supposed. Well, the boy's had a longer nap than
I meant he should. However, it's only for one mornin'."

Mr. Bickford did not linger over his toilet. Five minutes was rather an
overstatement of the time.

He went to Kit's chamber, and, opening the door, went in as
unceremoniously as his wife had done the night before.

A surprise awaited him.

There was no one in the bed.

"What! has the boy got up a'ready?" he asked himself, in a bewi