what was in the boy's mind.

Seth feared lest in the "prayer before breakfast" some reference might
be made to what he had attempted to do during the night; but his fears
were groundless. The little woman asked that her Father's blessing
might fall upon the homeless; but the words were spoken in the same
fervent, kindly tone as on the evening previous, and again the boy
thanked her in his heart.

When the morning meal had come to an end Gladys was eager Seth should
join her and Snip on an excursion through the grove where squirrels
were said to be "thick as peas," and under almost any other
circumstances the guest would have been delighted to accept the
invitation; but now he insisted that there was very much work to be
done before nightfall, which would force him to remain near the house.

"We've only to plant the garden," Aunt Hannah interrupted, "an' then
there's no reason why you shouldn't enjoy a stroll among the trees."

Seth remained silent, but determined to do all in his power to atone
for what seemed to him very nearly a crime, and Gladys decided that
she must also take part in the sowing of the seeds.

Until noon the three, with Snip as a most interested spectator, worked
industriously, and then, as Aunt Hannah said, "there was nothing to be
done save wait patiently until the sun and the rain had performed
their portion of the task."

Seth did not join Gladys and Snip in their afternoon romp, but
continued at his self-imposed tasks until night had come, doing quite
as much work with his mind as his hands. Twenty times over he resolved
to tell the little woman exactly why he was forced to run away from
New York, and as often decided he could not confess himself such a
criminal as it seemed certain, because of the advertisement, he really
was.

"I couldn't stand it to have her look at me after she knew
everything," he repeated again and again.

There was no idea in his mind as to how the matter might end, save
when now and then he had the faintest of faint hopes that perhaps she
might forget, or learn the truth from some one other than himself.

During three days he struggled between what he knew to be duty and his
own inclination, and in all that time the little woman never showed by
word or look that there was any disagreeable secret between them.

Seth tried to ease his conscience by working most industriously during
every moment of daylight, and then came the time when it was
absolutely impossi