as going to keep him always, and let him help him in the store.

Before they started off to buy the horse, uncle Frank telegraphed to
Ashbury about the coat; he also mentioned Willy's shoes.

The two had a beautiful ride, and bought a handsome black horse. Uncle
Frank consulted Willy a great deal about the purchase, and expatiated
on his good judgment in the matter after they got home. One of Willy's
chief charms was that he stood so much flattery of this kind, without
being disagreeably elated by it. His frank, childish delight was
always pretty to see.

The next afternoon he went berrying with a little boy who lived next
door. At five o'clock aunt Annie ran over to the store to see if the
coat had come.

"It has," she told her mother when she returned; "it came at one
o'clock, and Mother Perry gave it to Willy to bring home."

"To Willy? Why, what did the child do with it?" Grandma said
wonderingly. "He didn't bring it home."

"Maybe he carried it over to Josie Allen's and left it there." Josie
Allen was the boy with whom Willy had gone berrying. His house stood
very near uncle Frank's, and both were nearly across the road from the
store.

"Well, maybe he did, he was in such a hurry to go berrying," said
Grandma assentingly.

About six o'clock, when the family were all at the tea-table, Willy
came clumping painfully in his big shoes into the yard. There were
blisters on his small, delicate heels, but nobody knew it. His little
fair face was red and tired, but radiant. His pail was heaped and
rounded up with the most magnificent berries of the season.

"Just look here," said he, with his sweet voice all quivering with
delight.

He stood outside on the piazza, and lifted the pail on to the
window-sill. He could not wait until he came in to show these berries.
He would have to walk way around through the kitchen in those
irritating shoes.

They all exclaimed and admired them as much as he could wish, then
Grandma said suddenly: "But what did you do with the coat, Willy?"

"The coat?" repeated Willy in a bewildered way.

"Yes; the coat. Did you take it over to Josie's an' leave it? If you
did, you must go right back and get it. Did you?"

"No."

"Why, what did you do with it?"

"I didn't do anything with it."

"William Dexter Norton! what do you mean?"

[Illustration: "JUST LOOK HERE!" SAID WILLY'S SWEET VOICE.]

Everybody had stopped eating, and was staring out at Willy, who was
staring in. His