eel a little uneasy. It seemed to him as though
Captain Sedley never looked so sharply at him before. What could he
mean? He had given all his money to the widow Weston as well as Frank,
but Captain Sedley's looks seemed to reprove rather than commend him.
He did not feel satisfied with himself, or with Captain Sedley--why, he
could not exactly tell; so he happened to think that his father might
want him, and he ran home as fast as his legs would carry him.

But his father did not want him, and he walked nervously about the
house till breakfast-time. He had no appetite, and everything seemed to
go wrong with him.

"Come, Charles," said his mother, "eat your breakfast, or you will get
hungry before you get to Boston."

"Not going," answered he sulkily.

"Why not?" asked his father and mother in the same breath.

"Haven't got any money."

"No money! Where is the two dollars I gave you yesterday?" asked Mr.
Hardy rather sternly.

"Gave it away."

"You did?"

"Yes, sir."

"To whom?"

"Frank proposed last night to give our money to the widow Weston
instead of spending it; and like a great fool as I was, I agreed to
it."

"Poor fellow! It is too bad!" added Mrs. Hardy.

"What did he do it for, then?" said Mr. Hardy.

"Of course he didn't want to be behind Frank in doing a good action."

"But he is a long way behind him."

"Why, husband!"

"He has given the woman the money, and played the hypocrite," replied
Mr. Hardy, with the most evident expression of disgust in his tones and
looks. "He has acted just like a great many folks who put money into
the contribution-box for missions and Bible societies, because they
think it looks well."

"But, husband, you will give him some more money? You will make up the
sum to him which he has given in charity?"

"Given in charity! Given in hypocrisy, you mean! I shall do no such
thing."

"Deprive the poor boy of all his anticipated pleasure?" said the
indulgent mother.

"The bitter fruit of his own hypocrisy," replied Mr. Hardy.

"You are too bad!"

"No, I am not. If he gave away his money because he thought it was an
act of charity that would look well, that would make Frank and his
father think better of him, he is rightly served; and I am disposed to
shut him up in this room with a good book to teach him better, instead
of letting him go to the celebration."

Mr. Hardy was a blunt, honest man, perhaps a little too much inclined
to be harsh with his son