gold.

Beginning to think he would almost be willing to be whipped for the sake
of a good supper, he rose and walked on.

When he reached the Noonin farm, a mile and a half from home, the night
shadows were beginning to fall, but he could see in the distance a horse
and wagon coming that made his heart thump loud. The horse was old
Dolly; and what if one of the men in the wagon should be his father?

No, it was only Seth and Stephen; but Seth was almost as much to be
dreaded as Mr. Parlin himself.

"You here, you young rogue?" called out Stephen, in a tone between
laughing and scolding, for he would not have Willy suspect how relieved
they were at finding him. "You here? And where's Fred?"

"Up to Harlow, to Mr. Diah's," replied Willy, and coolly climbed into
the wagon.

"Better wait for an invitation. How do you know we shall let you ride?"
said Stephen, turning the horse's head towards home.

"First, we'd like to know what you've got to say for yourself," put in
Seth, in that cold, hard tone, which always made Willy feel as if he
didn't care how he had acted, and as if he would do just so again.

"I suppose you are aware that you have been a very wicked, deceitful,
disobedient boy?"

Willy made no reply, but lay down on the floor of the wagon, and curled
himself up like a caterpillar.

"Don't be too hard on him, Seth," said Stephen, who could not help
pitying the poor little fellow in his shame and embarrassment; "I don't
believe you meant to run away--now did you, Willy?"

The child was quite touched by this unexpected kindness. So they were
not sure he did mean to run away? If he said "No," they would believe
him, and then perhaps he wouldn't have to be whipped. But next instant
his better self triumphed, and he scorned the lie. Uncurling himself
from his caterpillar ball, he stammered,--

"Yes, I did mean to, too."

A little more, and he would have told the whole story. He longed to
tell it--how life had seemed a burden on account of his whippings, and
how he and Fred had planned to set up in business for themselves, but
Fred had backed out. But before he had time to speak, Seth said,
sternly,--

"You saucy child!"

He had taken Willy's quick "Yes, I did mean to, too," for impertinence;
whereas it was one of the bravest speeches the boy ever made, and did
him honor.

After this rebuke from Seth, Willy could not very well go on with his
confessions; the heart was gone out of him, and he curled u