tly to the elder
Miss Buffum, who declared, in revenge, that she would not help him on
with his pack, although she had intended to do so, ands after having
gathered his burdens, trudged off northward.

From the time he entered the establishment on the previous evening, he
had not caught a glimpse of Harry Benedict. "He's cute," said Jim, "an'
jest the little chap for this business." As he came near the stump over
the brow of the hill, behind which the poor-house buildings disappeared,
he saw first the brim of an old hat, then one eye, then an eager,
laughing face, and then the whole trim little figure. The lad was
transformed. Jim thought when he saw him first that he was a pretty
boy, but there was something about him now that thrilled the woodsman
with admiration.

Jim came up to him with: "Mornin,' Harry!" and the mountain that shone
so gloriously in the light before him, was not more sunny than Jim's
face. He sat down behind the stump without removing his pack, and once
more had the little fellow in his arms.

"Harry," said Jim, "I've had ye in my arms all night--a little live
thing--an' I've be'n a longin' to git at ye agin. If ye want to, very
much, you can put yer arms round my neck, an' hug me like a little bar.
Thar, that's right, that's right. I shall feel it till I see ye agin.
Ye've been thinkin' 'bout what I telled ye last night?"

"Oh yes!" responded the boy, eagerly, "all the time."

"Well, now, do you know the days--Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and the rest
of 'em?"

"Yes, sir, all of them."

"Now, remember, to-day is Wednesday. It will be seven days to next
Wednesday, then Thursday will be eight, Friday, nine, Saturday, ten. You
always know when Saturday comes, don't ye?"

"Yes, because it's our school holiday," replied Harry.

"Well, then, in ten days--that is, a week from next Saturday--I shall
come agin. Saturday night, don't ye go to bed. Leastways, ef ye do, ye
must git out of the house afore ten o'clock, and come straight to this
old stump. Can ye git away, an' nobody seen ye?"

"Yes, I hope so," replied the boy. "They don't mind anything about us. I
could stay out all night, and they wouldn't know where I was."

"Well, that's all right, now. Remember--be jest here with all the clo'es
ye've got, at ten o'clock, Saturday night--ten days off--cut 'em in a
stick every day--the next Saturday after the next one, an' don't git
mixed."

The boy assured him that he should make no mistake.

"W