e baby was
remembered with a big Dutch doll that rolled its eyes, the mother with
an ornamental sugar bowl and Lin with a pair of puff combs. A pair of
skates and a bow and arrow were given to Cousin Charley.

The greater effort Alfred made to ease his mind, the more conscience
stricken he became. Try as he would he could not force the gayety he
feigned. He clung to the baby sister every moment he was in the house.
Lin, in an adjoining room, heard him ask the child if she would miss her
big "bruzzer" when he was gone. Entering the room she found Alfred in
tears, the sympathetic child stroking his face. Alfred endeavored to
swallow the lump in his throat but he only sobbed the more. It did him
good as ashamed as he felt.

Lin looked him over suspiciously as she, in a voice as commanding as she
would pitch it, said:

"Look here, ye can't bamboozle me another minnit. What's on yer mind?
Spit it out afore it spills. Get it out of yer sistum and yer'll feel a
hull lot better. Thar hain't a durned dud of yers in this house. Air yu
fixin' to fly the coop? If ye air, don't go off like a thief afore
daylight. Go away so you won't be ashamed to kum back. Kum on now, let's
hear from you! I'll durn soon tell you whar to head in."

Alfred made a full and complete confession.

"So yer fixin' to run off and break the hearts of all at home, an' put a
dent in your own. For a week ye been jumpin' to make yerself more dear
to 'em afore ye hurt 'em. Yer hain't learnin' much with all yer
schoolin'. When do the retreat begin?" banteringly demanded Lin.

"Tomorrow," feebly answered Alfred.

That night, the family were in the big room, mother sewing, the children
playing about her. Lin, seated behind the mother, repeatedly signaled
Alfred to begin his talk to the mother as per his promise. The boy
looked another direction but Lin never took her eyes off his face. Her
gaze became painful. Finally he began:

"Muz, do you think Pap would be mad if I was to go away while he is in
Pittsburgh?"

The mother, without taking her eyes off her work, said: "I hope you're
not going to Uncle Jake's again. You'll wear your welcome out, won't
you?"

"No, I'm going away on business. I'm tired and sick of the way things
are going with me. I see nothing ahead for me and I'm going to strike
out for myself."

The mother put down her sewing and looked very seriously. Lin, from
behind her, nodded vigorously for him to go on.

"Look at Dan Livingstone