rom her home on the strength
of her own assertion that her step-mother abused her. There were two
sides to every question, and with the brighter example of Mrs. Hale
before us, we were not disposed to regard her as a monster without
giving her a hearing.

Kate was quite composed again when she found the boat was headed towards
Parkville, instead of Cannondale. One thing was very much in her favor;
she was not willing to speak evil of the lady who abused her. She had
told us no more than was necessary to explain her position. Her demeanor
did not indicate any thing malignant in her heart; on the contrary, her
conduct exhibited a degree of Christian forbearance which was hardly to
be expected of one who had been abused.

"I have heard all about you, Ernest Thornton," said Kate, as the Splash
stood over towards Parkville.

"Have you, indeed? I was not aware that I was celebrated enough to be
talked about," I laughingly replied.

"You are; and ever since you beat the Champion in the race with the
Adieno, I have looked upon you as a hero. I have often wished that I
might see you close to."

She was close enough to me now to make me shiver when I looked at her,
she was so wet and drabbled.

"Perhaps I am a kind of one-horse hero among the boys," I added, for the
sake of saying something.

"And among the girls, too," said she, promptly, if not boldly, though
there was a degree of simplicity in her manner which prevented me from
giving her words an unfavorable construction. "I have heard them in
Cannondale and Parkville tell what a bold, brave fellow you are."

"I am very much obliged to them and to you for the good opinion of me.
If you have confidence in me, that will answer my present purpose."

She looked curiously at me; and taking advantage of this favorable
current of sentiment, I put the Splash about on the other tack, so that
she was again headed towards Cannondale. Bob looked anxiously from Kate
to me, and from me to Kate again. He expected another storm of emotion
from her, and so did I; but I had decided upon my course, and was fully
determined to carry it out, even if it broke the heartstrings of my
fair passenger. I was sorry to be so ungallant as to resist the will of
a young lady, but my conscience would not let me interfere with the
domestic arrangements of Mrs. Loraine, without giving her a chance to
defend herself.

"They say you are a smart boy, Ernest Thornton," added she, apparently
without no