t. You don't suppose it's got lost--do you?"

"I think not. We've never lost anything in our office, leastwise not
since I've been postmaster," answered Captain Fishley, who seemed to
attribute the fact to his own superior management.

"It may come up to-night, as you say, and I will be down again in the
morning to see about it," replied Miss Larrabee, as she left the store,
hopeful that the money would arrive in season to enable her to depart
the next day on her journey.

I finished blacking Ham's boots, and he put them on. He was going to a
party at Crofton's, and had already dressed himself as sprucely as the
resources of Torrentville would permit. He was seventeen years old, and
somewhat inclined to be "fast." He was rather a good-looking fellow--an
exceedingly good-looking fellow in his own estimation. Being an only
son, his father and mother were disposed to spoil him, though not even
Ham wholly escaped the sharp points and obliquities of his mother's
temper. His father gave him what he believed to be a liberal allowance
of spending money; but on this subject there was a disagreement between
Ham and the "old man."

The young man always wanted more money, and the old man thought he had
enough. Ham was pleasantly inclined towards some of the young ladies,
and some of the young ladies were pleasantly inclined towards him. Ham
liked to take them out to ride, especially Squire Crofton's youngest
daughter, in the stable-keeper's new buggy; but his father thought the
light wagon, used as a pleasure vehicle by the family, was good enough
even for Elsie Crofton. I had heard some sharp disputes between them on
this subject.

There was to be a party that evening at Crofton's. Ham was invited of
course; I was not. Ham was considered a young man. I was deemed a boy,
not competent to go to parties yet. As long as Flora could not go, I was
content to stay at home with her.

I placed the mail-bag in the wagon, Ham took his seat by my side, and I
drove off. As the reader already knows my position in regard to my
tyrants, I need not repeat what passed between Ham and me. I told him I
had made up my mind to do all the work I had been in the habit of doing,
without grumbling, until October, but that I would not be treated like a
dog any longer; I would take to the woods and live like a bear before I
would stand it. My remarks were evidently very distasteful to my
companion. He did not say much, and I was sorry to see that he wa