so good a son.

Charles Hardy was the son of one of the factory agents, who was Captain
Sedley's nearest neighbor; and a strong friendship had grown up between
the two boys. Charles's character was essentially different from that
of his friend; but as I prefer that my young reader should judge his
disposition for himself, and distinguish between the good and the evil
of his thoughts and actions as the story proceeds, I shall not now tell
him what kind of a boy he was.

CHAPTER II

THE WIDOW WESTON

Near the house of Captain Sedley, a sandy beach extended from the road,
on the margin of the lake, down to the water's side. It was here that
Charles Hardy waited the return of his friend. He was thinking of the
sacrifice they had concluded to make for the widow Weston; and it must
be confessed that he felt not a little sad at the thought of resigning
all the enjoyment he anticipated in connection with the excursion to
the city the following day.

On the water, secured by a pole driven into the sand, floated a raft,
which some of the boys in the neighborhood had built, and with which
they amused themselves in paddling about the lake. It was a rude
structure, made by lashing together four rails in the form of a square,
and placing planks across the upper side of them. The boys who had
constructed it lived farther down the lake in the direction of the
village. They did not bear a very good character in the neighborhood.
If an orchard was robbed, a henroost plundered, or any other mischief
done in the vicinity, it could generally be traced to them. They always
played together, went to and came from school together, planned and
executed their mischief together, so that they came to be regarded as a
unit of roguery, and people never saw one of them without wondering
where the rest were.

The foremost of these unruly fellows was Tim Bunker. He was the ruling
spirit of their party, and had the reputation of being a notoriously
bad boy. He was in the habit of lying, swearing, cheating, and
stealing; and people, judging his followers by their ringleader, had
got into the way of calling them the Bunkers.

Of course Captain Sedley was unwilling that his son should associate
with such boys as the Bunkers; and so much did Frank dislike their
company that it was scarcely necessary to caution him to avoid them.

While Charles Hardy was waiting, he walked down to the water's edge.
The sun was just sinking behind the green h