t, brother Hoyle?"

"I heered you tellin' Cass 'at you was gettin' strong as one o' these
here cricket bugs, an' I had one t'other day; he could jump as fer as
cl'ar acrost the po'ch--and he was only 'bout a inch long--er less 'n a
inch. I thought if brothah David was that strong, he could jump a heap."

David had comforted Hoyle for the loss of Cassandra from the home by
explaining that they were now become brothers for the rest of their
lives, and in order to give this assurance appreciable significance, he
had taken the small chap to the circus and had treated him to pink
lemonade and a toy balloon.

They had remained over until the next day, and Doctor Bartlett and David
had examined him all over at the old physician's office and then had
gone into a little room by themselves and stayed a long time, leaving
him outside. Then, to compensate for such gross neglect, David had
taken him to a clothing store and bought him a complete suit of store
clothing, very neat and pretty. Hoyle would have been in the seventh
heaven over all this, were it not, alas! that there the child for the
first time in his life looked into a mirror that revealed him to himself
from head to foot, little wry neck, hunched back and all.

David, not realizing this was a revelation to the little man, wondered,
as they walked away, that all his enthusiasm and exuberance of spirits
had left him, and that he walked at his side wearily and sadly silent.
His pathetic little legs spindled down from the smart new trousers, and
his hands dangled weakly from his thin wrists, albeit his fingers clung
tightly to his toy balloon.

"We're going back to the bishop's now, and we'll have a good dinner, and
then you'll have a whole hour to play with Dorothy before we leave for
home," said David, cheeringly. The child made no response other than to
slip his hand into David's. "What are you thinking about, brother
Hoyle?"

"Jest nothin'. I war a-wonderin'."

"Oh, there is a difference? What were you wondering?"

"Maw told me if you war that good to take me to a circus, I mustn't
bothah you with a heap o' questions 'at wa'n't no good."

"That's all right. I'm questioning you now."

"What war you an' that old man feelin' me all ovah for? War you tryin'
to make out hu' come my hade is sot like this-a-way? Reckon you r'aly
could set hit straight an' get this 'er lump off'n my back?"

"Don't worry about your head and your back. You have a very good head.
That