sed.

"It was early last week that I met a boy who said he lived with you.
As I was in a hurry, I gave him a letter containing ten dollars, which
I asked him to give to you."

"What day was it?" asked the deacon, eagerly.

"Monday. Do you mean to say he didn't give it to you?"

"No; he ran away the next morning, and I haven't seen him since."

"Then he ran away with the money--the young thief! I told him there
was money in it."

"Bless my soul! I didn't think Sam was so bad," ejaculated the
deacon.

"Didn't you go after him?"

"No; he wasn't very good to work, and I thought I'd let him run. Ef
I'd knowed about the money, I'd have gone after him."

"It isn't too late, now."

"I'll ask my wife what I'd better do."

The deacon conferred with his wife, who was greatly incensed against
Sam, and would have advised pursuit, but they had no clue to his
present whereabouts.

"He'll come back some time, deacon," said she. "When he does, have him
took up."

But years passed, and Sam did not come back, nor did the deacon set
eyes on him for four years, and then under the circumstances recorded
in the first chapter.

CHAPTER X.

SAM'S ADVENTURES AT THE DEPOT.

It was six miles to the station at Wendell, where Sam proposed to take
the cars for New York. He had to travel on an empty stomach, and
naturally got ravenously hungry before he reached his destination.
About half a mile this side of the depot he passed a grocery-store,
and it occurred to him that he might get something to eat there.

Entering he saw a young man in his shirt-sleeves engaged in sweeping.

"Have you got anything good to eat?" asked Sam.

"This aint a hotel," said the young man, taking Sam for a penniless
adventurer.

"I knew that before," said Sam, "but haven't you got some crackers or
something, to stay a feller's stomach?"

"Haven't you had any breakfast?" asked the clerk, curiously.

"No."

"Don't they give you breakfast where you live?"

"Not so early in the morning. You see I had to take an early start,
'cause I'm goin' to attend my grandmother's funeral."

This of course was a story trumped up for the occasion.

"We've got some raw potatoes," said the clerk, grinning.

"I've had enough to do with potatoes," said Sam. "Haven't you got some
crackers?"

"Come to think of it, we have. How many will you have?"

"About a dozen."

While they were being put up in a paper bag, the clerk inquired, "How
far off does you