to
leave England in a hurry, a great many years ago.'

'Why, that might be written of Dick himself,' said the doctor, with a
smile. '"Birds of a feather," you know the old proverb!'

'Oh, but Dick must have altered, I am sure, for he says that he and
Mr. Howard have both worked very hard, and made a moderate fortune, or
they would not have come home to England again. That is not like the
old Dick, is it?'

'No, my dear, for he generally let other people do the hard work,
while he dreamed of what he would like to do. But now let me see this
letter.'

'Luncheon is served, ma'am,' said the housemaid, tapping at the door
at this moment.

The doctor and his wife were to have the meal alone to-day, and so the
servant's service was dispensed with, that they might discuss this
wonderful letter, for wonderful it was, even the doctor had to
confess, when he had read it.

There was far more about his friend, whose wife and family he was
anxious to find, than there was about the writer himself; but the most
interesting piece of information was in the postscript.

'My friend has just heard that his wife went to live in the
neighbourhood of your town. Can you make inquiries? She has two sons,
Frederick and Horace. The latter would be about thirteen, I think.'

The doctor dropped the letter and gazed at his wife. 'I wonder whether
it is the father of that scholarship boy!' he almost gasped.

'What scholarship boy?' asked Mrs. Morrison impatiently.

'Why, the one that was sent from the board school to Torrington's.
His father was entered as a traveller, I believe, and he was said to
be abroad. My dear, put your things on, and we will drive round and
see this Mrs. Howard. She lives at that old-fashioned cottage just
outside the town.'

'Oh, but I want to go and see Dick!' said the lady.

'And we will go, if possible; but I shall have to see Warren first,
and we must do as Dick wishes, and inquire for his friend's wife
before we go.'

Dr. Morrison was not a man to let the grass grow under his feet, and
so the carriage was ordered at once, and in half an hour they were on
their way to the cottage.

A very few words convinced the doctor that he had found the lady he
was seeking; and when she had read all that was said about her husband
she readily agreed to go with the doctor and Mrs. Morrison to London.
While the doctor went to his friend Warren, she wrote a letter
explaining something of what had happened, and that she