t him go
away, and lose the run of you. Something must be done at once. He is a
smart boy, they say, and if he should happen to get an idea, he would
blow you and me so high that we never should come down."

That was an idea, and I happened to get it.

"My son, I have stained my soul with crime for your sake," added my
uncle, bitterly. "We have wronged this boy enough. I will not have him
injured."

"I don't wish to injure him, only to get him out of the way, so that he
will lose the run of you," replied Tom, petulantly. "He don't know
anything about me."

"Don't flatter yourself, Tom Thornton," I thought, but did not say.

"I am willing to do anything proper to be done with him. He will
graduate soon at the Institute, and we must find a place for him in some
business," said uncle Amos.

"I will find a situation for him in New Orleans."

"Not to take his life."

"No, no; certainly not. I know of a firm there that wants a young man
from the north, and you must send him off in the course of a week. Now,
what has the villain done with that girl?"

"I don't know; he has not brought her here," answered my uncle.

"What has he done with her? There was a young fellow with him; do you
know who he was?"

"Probably the Hale boy. They run together."

"What could they have done with the girl?"

"I don't know. What motive had they for carrying her off?"

"Out of pity I suppose. Kate is a careless girl, wilful, and
disobedient. She objects to being shut up in her chamber for her
misdemeanors."

Tom Thornton related the incident in which Bob and I had been concerned
on the pier.

"The child must have been badly abused, or she would not have jumped
into the lake," said uncle Amos, when he had heard the story.

"It does not concern you or me whether she has been or not. I fancy the
girl is not of much use to any one."

"Why do you run after her, then?"

"What's the use of arguing the question. Mrs. Loraine wishes me to find
the girl, and return her; and I'm going to do it, if I have to choke
your smart boy to get at it. Where is he?"

"In his chamber; but you must not harm him," replied uncle Amos,
nervously. "He is as high-spirited as his father was."

"What do I care for that? He must tell me where the girl is."

"Perhaps he will not be willing to tell you."

"Then I shall make him do so," added Tom, savagely; and it seemed to me
he was getting up a very pleasant prospect for me.

"You must handle him v