at the cheap
bookstalls. Harry had learned the notes from a secondhand book of
instructions which John Holl had bought for him one Saturday night, when
the weather had been particularly hot, and people in their desire to
get their dust-bins emptied were more liberal than usual. But of an
evening, when John was at home, Harry always played popular airs, as his
father and family were unable to appreciate the deeper and better music.
This he reserved for the time when the children were at school, and
mother was either charring or was at the wash-tub.

Sarah used to wonder silently at the sounds which seemed to her to have
no particular air, such as she could beat time to with her foot as she
worked; but in her heart she appreciated them; they made her feel as if
she was in church, and sometimes she would draw her apron across her
eyes, wondering all the time what there was in the tones of the fiddle
which should make her cry.

Three or four days later, when Harry, as usual, was playing on his
violin, and Mrs. Holl was washing, there was a knock at the door.

"Drat it!" Mrs. Holl muttered, "who's a-coming bothering now, just when
I am busy?"

"If no one is to come except when you are not busy," Harry laughed, as
Mrs. Holl moved towards the door, wiping the lather from her arms and
hands, "we shan't have many visitors, for as far as I can see you are
always busy."

"Ah!" he exclaimed, as Mrs. Holl opened the door, and he saw who was
standing without, "it's the gentleman who got Evan out of the water."

"Mrs. Holl?" Frank asked interrogatively, and then, catching sight of
Harry, he at once walked across to him and shook him by the hand.

"I hope I am not intruding, Mrs. Holl, but I promised your son to look
in and see how he was; and as I had to come down to the School to-day
for a book I wanted for my holiday task, I thought it would be a good
opportunity to fulfil my promise."

"It is no intrusion, sir, and I am sure I am heartily glad to see yer,
and thank ye for coming," Mrs. Holl said, as she dusted an already
spotless chair and placed it for her visitor. "My John does nothing
every evening but talk of how he wishes he could see you, to tell you
how beholden he and me feels to you for having brought our Evan to land
just as he was being drowned."

"No thanks are required indeed, Mrs. Holl," Frank said cheerfully, "it
was a sort of partnership affair. You see I was going in after the dog,
only Evan, who was a s