s not fastened down. He resolved upon trying, and turning
into one of the public streets, which would bring him sooner to the
place desired than that by which he had come, he walked swiftly
onward. He had not gone far before some object glancing brightly in
the moonlight attracted his observation.

He took it up, and found it to be a small steel-clasped purse; and
from some indications about it, he concluded it had been dropped by a
child. The next movement was to open it. Two little gold dollars first
glittered before his eyes, then some small silver coin, and last of
all a five-dollar gold piece carefully wrapped in paper.

His first feeling was rapture: if what he had done for the Grahams had
brought so much happiness, both to them and himself, would it not be
increased ten-fold now when owner of such wealth? But then the thought
occurred, "It is not mine; somebody must have lost it; somebody maybe
that was poor; yes, I will give it back again; to-morrow I will ask
Thomas Burton to inquire in the neighbourhood and find out the owner."
This seemed the only proper course, and putting the purse in his
pocket, he went on the way proposed to himself, and succeeded in
gaining entrance to his room without disturbing the family.
Notwithstanding the severe exertions and excitement of the day, he
found himself unable to sleep; racking pains shot through his limbs,
and feverish oppression prevented rest until near morning, when he
fell into the unrefreshing stupor, rather than sleep, produced by
exhaustion.

From this he was aroused by the usual call to get up and make the
fire. He obeyed, although his aching head and prostrated strength
scarcely permitted a movement. Serious sickness, long threatening, had
at length seized him; and having with the utmost effort dragged
himself down to the kitchen, he was barely able to kindle the fire,
before he fell fainting on the floor, where Mrs. Walters found him.

Virago and shrew as she was, she could not look at him as he lay there
so death-like, without a feeling of compassion. She had him carried to
his room in the attic, where she attended him with perhaps as much
sympathy as was compatible with her rude nature. For many days he lay
in a dreaming kind of stupor; yet the images which forced themselves
on his mind, although vague and fitful, were by no means painful;
sickness had overtaken him in the midst of right doing, and the
impression left by the high and holy duty in which