s he
said, to see Bill, and show him that he was all right. In reality he
wanted to give the man a chance to rest, and recover somewhat from his
recent trying experience, before meeting with his wife and children.

Bill Tooley, under kind care, amid quiet and pleasant surroundings, and
aided by his own strong constitution, was in a fair way to recover his
health and strength. The fever had left him, and he was able to sit up
for a few minutes at a time. The only serious trouble seemed to be with
his right leg. It gave him great pain, and was threatened with a
permanent lameness. He already seemed a different boy from what he had
been, and would hardly be recognized for the bully of a short time
before. He gave way to occasional outbursts of impatient anger, but
these were always quieted by the gentle presence and soothing words of
either Mrs. Sterling or little Helen; and in his rough way he would
express sorrow for them by saying, "Don't yer mind me, mum; I don' mean
nothin'; only dis ere blessed leg gits de best of me sometimes." Or to
Helen, "Don't yer be afeared, sissy; I know I talks awful ugly; but I
ain't. It's only de pain of de leg breakin' out in bad words."

The meeting between father and son that night, when Derrick persuaded
Monk Tooley to go home with him, was curious to witness. Bill was as
fond of his father, in his way, as the latter was of him, and had been
very anxious when he knew he was in the mine at the time of the
explosion. Both were much affected when Monk stepped to his son's
bedside; but they had no words to express their feelings. The father
said,

"Well, lad, how goes it?"

Bill answered, "Middlin', feyther. I heerd yer got blowed up."

"Well, yer see I didn't. Job Taskar's killed, though."

"Better him nor anoder."

"Yes. Yer want ter be gittin' outen dis, son. Times is hard, an' idlin's
expensive."

"All right, feyther; I'll soon be in de breaker agin."

This was all; but the two were assured of each other's safety and
well-being, and for them that was enough.

Monk Tooley accepted a cup of tea from Mrs. Sterling, and departed with
a very warm feeling in his heart towards those who were doing so much
for his boy.

His wife and the neighbor women, who as usual were gathered in her
house, were loud in their exclamations of pleasure and wonder at seeing
him safe home again from "the blowing up of the mine," but he gruffly
bade them "be quiet, and not be making all that gabble a