Mrs. Parlin. She saw the charcoal; she
understood it all in an instant.

"Lydia, come quick!"

A low moan fell on her ear as she bent to listen. Thank Heaven, it was
not too late! Willy could yet be saved!

Happy mother, receiving her precious one as if from the dead! Bewildered
Willy, coming back to life with no remembrance of the dark river which
he had almost forded, without a thought of the pearly gates he had
almost entered!

Conscience-stricken "Liddy!" How she suffered when she found what she
had done! Not that she made a scene by screaming and tearing her hair,
as some ignorant people are apt to do at such a time. No; Liddy was a
Quaker, and the Quaker blood is very quiet. She only pressed her hands
together hard, and said to Mrs. Parlin,--

"Thee knows I never _meant_ any harm to that sweet child."

CHAPTER IV.

THE OX-MONEY.

Perhaps the shock had some effect upon Willy's habits, for after this he
did not walk in his sleep for some time.

But one night, as the teamsters were drinking their cider, and talking
about the well-beloved "Kellup," wondering why he should take it into
his head to steal,--"as honest a man, they had always thought, as ever
trod shoe-leather,"--the bar-room door softly opened, and in glided
Willy, in his flannel night-dress.

The men were really glad to see him, and nodded at one another, smiling,
but, as usual, made no remark about the child. They knew he could not
hear, but it seemed as if he could, and they were a little careful what
they said before him.

"Yes," said Mr. Parlin, going on to speak of Caleb, "I considered him an
honest, God-fearing man, and trusted him as I would one of my own sons.
If there was any other way to account for that money, I should be glad,
I assure you,--as glad as any of you."

"Where has Kellup gone to?" asked Mr. Griggs.

"Gone to Bangor, they say."

All this while Willy had not seated himself in his little chair, but was
walking towards the bar. After muttering to himself a little while, he
went in and took from the shelf the old account-book. Mr. Parlin looked
at the teamsters, and put his finger on his lips as a hint for them to
keep still, and see what the child would do.

Willy felt in the account-book for the key, then glided along to the
money-drawer and opened it.

"There, now, it isn't here," said he, after he had fumbled about for a
while with his chubby fingers; "the book isn't here that had the
ox-money in it.