Before this he had been glad to meet no one; but now he felt a keen
desire to ascertain where his father had gone; and resolved to return
by the way of Tom Grant's, though a flurry of snow filled the air, and
inquire whether Mr. Riley had been seen of late. Mrs. Grant, Tom's
mother, was getting dinner, while Jerry was at work cutting wood in
the back yard. The old lady knew how hard Pat had tried to reform, and
greeted him in a most cordial manner.

"Why, Patrick!" she exclaimed, catching hold of his arm, "Come right
in out of the snow. So yer going off to school, I hear my son say,
well it's a lucky chance for ye, and I wish ye well. Sit right down
now. Thomas will be at home soon, and he'll be glad to see ye."

"I must be going in a minute," Pat answered, "twirling his hat, I
only wanted to know when you've seen Daddy. I've been to the old
place, and there's no sign of anybody living in it."

"Haven't ye heard? Well, I s'pose ye haven't. Yer daddy's cleared out,
bag and baggage. I don't s'pose he had to hire much of a team, either,
to carry off what was left at the old place; but he took his pipe and
a change of clothes; and I don't believe there is enough left in the
shanty, to make it dangerous to leave the door open o' nights. Folks
as heard him talk, do say he was clear discouraged with yer mammy's
drinking and quarrelling; and he's gin her up entirely. But I can't
tell nothing how that is."

"Do you know where he's gone?" asked Pat.

"La, no; I don't s'pose he knew hisself. He had a stick over his
shoulder, and his bundle hung on the end on't, and that's all I can
tell ye."

The boy turned without a word, and walked away. He knew now why his
father came to the farm again so soon after his first visit; and why
he consented so easily that the Squire should send him to school. He
had resolved to quit his old home forever.

All this he told Mrs. Taylor that night, and ended with a sigh.

"I don't suppose he and I shall ever see each other again. He wasn't
so bad till mammy came."

[Illustration]

About a week after he reached the school, his teacher wrote Mr.
Curtis,

"Patrick Riley arrived here a few days after the term commenced,
and has conducted himself in such a manner as to win the
approbation of all his teachers. I agree with you, that he will
make a smart man; and from present appearances, I hope also, a
useful one. I mentioned to him that I intended to write you, and