Johnnie. 'Spite of his objections to soap and water and
the English grammar, I have a higher opinion of Bob than that.'

But as still time passed on and Bob did not return, Duncan and Seymour
were sent in search of him. They looked for him by the way, but saw
nothing of him, and at length arrived at Mrs. Western's house and rang
the bell.

'Has a boy been here for some gravel Mrs. Western promised us, or is he
here now?' inquired Duncan of the maid who came to the gate.

'He has been here, Master Campbell,' she replied, 'but he's gone off as
fast as his legs can carry him, and he's taken mistress's new
thermometer with him that hung on the south wall, and he's trampled over
all the beds, and Mrs. Western she saw him from the window; and your pa'
was passing, so she called him in; but the boy made off, and it'll be a
wonder if the police are not sent for. They're a bad set, those
Middletons.'

Duncan's eyes grew round with excitement, and Seymour, who was rather
timid, began to cry. He wanted to run home again, but Duncan considered
such a proceeding cowardly; and while they were debating the point, Dr.
Campbell saw them, and called to them to come in.

'Who sent Bob here for the gravel?' he inquired.

'Johnnie sent him; Honorius said he might,' replied Duncan.

'Of course they never thought how the boy would behave,' said kind old
Mrs. Western. 'I daresay they didn't know he wasn't a fit person to be
trusted.'

'They might have known,' said Dr. Campbell; 'Johnnie at least has heard
me say that Bob was ripe for any mischief, and he knows I refused to let
him take him out fishing with him. If Honorius had told me of your kind
present, I would have sent some proper person for the gravel.'

'Honorius did say Mrs. Western had promised us some gravel after dinner,
papa, but you were just going out, and I suppose you didn't hear him,'
said Duncan. 'He didn't like sending Bob much, but we didn't know who
else to get.'

'You should have asked,' began his father; but seeing that Seymour was
frightened, he checked himself, saying, 'It's no blame to you little
ones; I don't suppose you had anything to do with it. Run away home if
you like.'

'Oh, but let Sarah cut you a piece of cake first,' said Mrs. Western.
'My dear (to Seymour), don't fret; you shall have the gravel all the
same.'

Mrs. Western's maid brought them out two large slices of pound-cake,
which, after they had thanked their kind old friend, they took