ing towards me, and then I felt sure I was safe."

"Yes, we will thank him. If I had to live a hundred years, I would
thank him to the end of my days," exclaimed Janet. "But his parents are
rich people, and a poor body like me can give him ne'er more than empty
thanks."

"But if they come from the bottom of our hearts he'll prize them,"
observed Margaret. "And do ye ken who he is?"

"Ay, that I do--he is Donald's class-mate, no other than Alec Galbraith,
your brother is always talking about."

"Oh, I am so glad," exclaimed Margaret. "I can believe all Donald says
of him. I must go with you and thank him too, and I will never more be
jealous though he keeps at the head of the class, and Donald is only
second. He must be as brave as he is clever, or he would not have
risked his life to save that of a poor little stranger girl like me, and
then to have gone away without even stopping to be thanked."

Janet guessed that young Galbraith was not likely at that time to be
found at his house, and indeed Margaret was not fit to go out again at
present. She therefore waited till the boys came home in the evening
from school. They had heard nothing of what had occurred. All they
knew was, that Alec Galbraith had come later than usual to school, that
the master had received his excuse's, and that he had performed his
tasks with even more than his ordinary ability. They listened with
panting breath to the account Janet gave of the occurrence.

"Bless him," cried Donald, "I will never again try to take him down. I
would rather he had done it than any other fellow in the school."

"I will give him all my prizes, and pray for him as long as I live,"
exclaimed David.

Janet thought Margaret sufficiently recovered in the evening to venture
out. "We must go with you," exclaimed Donald. "I want to take
Galbraith by the hand, and tell him all I feel."

The party set off--Janet, as usual, taking her knitting as she quitted
her wheel, from which her active fingers had been spinning yarn even
while the conversation above described had been going on. Margaret was
rather pale, and somewhat weak, but her sturdy brothers supported her on
either side. Though she was eager to thank Alec Galbraith, she felt
somewhat timid at the thoughts of encountering him and his parents.

"I know Alec well enough to be sure that he will make light of the
matter," observed Donald. "He will tell you that he ran no danger, and
enjoyed the s