e."

By and by we passed Rovin' Kate. I could just discern her ragged form by
the roadside and called to her. He struck his horse and gave me a rude
shake and bade me shut up.

It was dark and I felt very cold and began to wish myself home in bed.

"Ain't we most to the Dunkelbergs'?" I asked.

"No--not yet," he answered.

I burst into tears and he hit me a sounding whack in the face with his
hand.

"No more whimperin'," he shouted. "Do ye hear me?"

He hurt me cruelly and I was terribly frightened and covered my face and
smothered my cries and was just a little quaking lump of misery.

He shook me roughly and shoved me down on the buggy floor and said:

"You lay there and keep still; do you hear?"

"Yes," I sobbed.

I lay shaking with fear and fighting my sorrow and keeping as still as I
could with it, until, wearied by the strain, I fell asleep.

What an angel of mercy is sleep! Down falls her curtain and away she
leads us--delivered! free!--into some magic country where are the things
we have lost--perhaps even joy and youth and strength and old
friendships.

What befell me that night while I dreamed of playing with the
sweet-faced girl I have wondered often. Some time in the night Dug
Draper had reached the village of Canton, and got rid of me. He had
probably put me out at the water trough. Kind hands had picked me up and
carried me to a little veranda that fronted the door of a law office.
There I slept peacefully until daylight, when I felt a hand on my face
and awoke suddenly. I remember that I felt cold. A kindly faced man
stood leaning over me.

"Hello, boy!" said he. "Where did you come from?"

I was frightened and confused, but his gentle voice reassured me.

"Uncle Peabody!" I called, as I arose and looked about me and began to
cry.

The man lifted me in his arms and held me close to his breast and tried
to comfort me. I remember seeing the Silent Woman pass while I was in
his arms.

"Tell me what's your name," he urged.

"Barton Baynes," I said as soon as I could speak.

"Where is your father?"

"In Heaven," I answered, that being the place to which he had moved, as
I understood it.

"Where do you live?"

"In Lickitysplit."

"How did you get here?"

"Dug Draper brought me. Do you know where Sally Dunkelberg lives?"

"Is she the daughter of Horace Dunkelberg?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Horace Dunkelberg," I amended.

"Oh, yes, I know her. Sally is a friend of mine. We'll get some