time to read his
letter. He wondered what its contents could be, and wished and hoped
that papa had written some message there for himself. Would Uncle
Richard tell him if there were? he wondered. Then his thoughts went
back over the sea to Hastings, and there came up such pictures of the
dear old home there, and the faces of his school friends flocked
before him so vividly,--Ned Thorn's in particular,--that he could look
about him only through tears that he strove in vain to banish.

Hagar had gone out with the candle, so the kitchen was quite dusk,
save where the fire flared scarlet light on the wall and ceiling.
Suddenly, in this silence, there stole in a heavy throbbing, like the
beating of a great, muffled heart, and with a slow and solemn
movement, rolled and swept in long chains of sound through the house,
till, at last, a clear, sweet, flutelike warble broke in and ran up
and down, seeming to wind in and out with the heavy undertone. Hagar
came in just then with her flaming candle, and began to rattle about
among her pots and kettles.

"What is that?" Noll asked, quickly, as the strains kept stealing in
above the clatter which the old negress made. It had startled him at
first, coming so suddenly, and corresponding so well with the gloom
and mystery which seemed to fill the house.

"Bress ye, honey!" said the black old figure, stooping over the
cooking utensils on the stone hearth, "don't ye know? Dat's Mas'r Dick
at his organ. He sits dar mos' times at ebenin', an' 'pears like I ken
jes' tell his feelin's by de music he makes. Sometimes I ken hear it
jes' as sad as nuffin ye ken think ob, an' sometimes it's singin' as
ef 'twas 'live and 'joicin.' It dun make ye homesick?" queried Hagar,
dropping her dishcloth and looking up into the boy's face.

"No," Noll answered, with a sigh, "'tisn't the music. It will all be
gone in the morning, I guess," and tried to look his cheeriest.

"You's tired out, chile," said Hagar, with ready sympathy; "better go
to bed. I's been makin' ye one in de room jes' side o' Mas'r Dick's.
Bes' room in de whole house!"

The music had ceased, and Noll left his seat and went groping his way
along the dark, echoing hall, through the dimly-lighted dining-room to
the library-door. Entering, he found his uncle still seated before the
organ, but with his head bent forward upon the music-rack, and
apparently lost in deep thought, for he did not look up till Noll
stood beside h