et me tell you something--the reason I went. You could never
guess! I went to see some one."

Mrs. Franklin raised her head and looked at Cynthia.

"You can't mean--"

"Yes, I do. Neal!"

"Child, where is he? Is he here? Has he come back?"

"No, mamma," said Cynthia, shaking her head sadly, "he wouldn't come. I
begged and implored him to, but he wouldn't."

"Oh, Cynthia, why didn't you tell me? I could have made him come; I
would have gone down on my knees to him! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because he said I mustn't. He sent me a note yesterday. I knew he would
never forgive me if I told."

"Yesterday! You knew he was coming yesterday? Cynthia, you ought to have
told!"

"But, mamma, he told me not to, and I didn't have time to think it over,
for we were so frightened with Edith's accident. It all came at once.
But you could not have made him come."

"Where is he now?"

"He has gone to Pelham to take the train, and he is going to write to
me, mamma. He says he--he is going to work."

"My poor boy!" said Mrs. Franklin, going to the window. "Tramping about
the country such a day as this without a home! I wonder if he has any
money, Cynthia?"

"I don't know, mamma."

Neither of them remembered that Neal had wilfully deserted his home, and
that it was entirely his own fault if he had no money in his pockets.

"Cynthia," said Mrs. Franklin, turning abruptly and facing her daughter,
"I want you to understand that I don't think Neal took that money. I
cannot believe it. I am sure he got it in some other way. Why do you
look so odd, Cynthia?"

There was no answer.

"I believe you know something about it. Tell me!"

Still no answer.

"Could you have helped him in any way? Where would you get it? Why, of
course! How stupid we have all been! You had Aunt Betsey's present; you
never spent it, you would not buy the watch. Cynthia, you cannot deny
it; I have guessed it!"

The next moment Mrs. Franklin was enveloped in a vigorous hug.

"You dear darling, I'm _so_ thankful you have! He wouldn't let me tell,
but I said this morning I wouldn't deny it if you happened to guess."

"Oh, Cynthia, though I said I didn't believe the other, this has taken a
thousand-pound weight from my heart!"

They were interrupted by the entrance of the nurse, who came to say that
her patient was growing more uneasy, and she thought some one had better
come to her. At the same moment Mr. Franklin arrived, so Cynthia went
alone t