William.

"Yes."

"Is he in Philadelphia? I noticed it was mailed there."

"Yes--no--he says he cannot tell us where he is."

"I think he must be in Philadelphia, or the letter would not be mailed
there."

"Come in, William. I must go and tell Mary."

"No, thank you, Mrs. Brandon. I am on an errand for my mother. I hope
Ben is well?"

"Yes, he says so."

Mrs. Brandon went in, and showed the letter to her daughter.

"There, I told you, mother, you need not be alarmed. He says he is
earning his living."

"But it seems so hard for a boy of ten to have to work for his living.
What can he do?"

"Oh, there are various things he can do. He might sell papers, for
instance."

"I think I shall go to Philadelphia to-morrow, Mary."

"It won't be of any use, you may depend, mother. He is not in
Philadelphia."

"But this letter is posted there."

"That is a proof to me that he is not there. He says he don't want to
come back."

Shortly after, Mr. Brandon entered the house.

"We have had a letter from Ben, father," said Mary.

"Show it to me," he said, briefly.

He read the letter, and handed it back without a word.

"What are you going to do about it, Mr. Brandon?" asked his wife.

"What is there to be done?" he asked.

"I think I had better go up to Philadelphia to-morrow."

"What for?"

"I might see him."

"You would be going on a wild-goose chase."

"Then why won't you go?"

"It isn't worth while. If the boy doesn't want to come home, he may
take care of himself if he likes it so well. I shan't run round after
him."

"He says he did not do what you punished him for," said Mrs. Brandon,
rather deprecatingly, for she was somewhat in awe of her husband.

"Of course he would say that. I have heard that before."

"But I don't think he really did."

"I know you have always been foolishly indulgent to him."

"At any rate that cannot be said of you," said his wife, with some
spirit.

"No," he answered, rather surprised at such an unusual manifestation
from his usually acquiescent wife; "you are right there, and you might
add that I don't mean to be, if he should return."

"I think he would have come home but for that advertisement. You see
what he says about it in his letter."

"If I were to write it again, I should write it in the same manner,
though perhaps I might not offer so large a sum."

Mrs. Brandon sighed, and ceased speaking. She knew her husband well
enough to see that there w