scarcely yet in his teens, would have made even Alfred and Oscar smile,
but for the consciousness of the new knives in their pockets.

It was now quite dark, and on coming to a street which led more
directly towards his home, Oscar left the other boys, with the promise
of seeing them again Monday morning.




CHAPTER V.

THE YOUNG TRAVELLERS.

The Sabbath came, and a fine autumnal day it was. Oscar's thoughts
were with Alfred, and the boys whose acquaintance he had made the
afternoon previous; but there was little chance for him to join them in
their walks on that day. He could not absent himself from church or
the Sunday-school, without his parents' knowledge; and Mr. Preston had
always decidedly objected to letting the children stroll about the
streets on the Sabbath. Oscar felt so uneasy, however, that in the
afternoon, a little while before meeting-time, he left the house slyly,
while his father was upstairs, and walked around to Alfred's. But he
saw nothing of the boys, and was in his accustomed seat in the church
when the afternoon services commenced.

The next morning, Oscar rose earlier than usual, and as soon as he
could despatch his breakfast, he hurried over to the hotel. The
travellers had concluded to defer their journey one day longer, that
they might have a better opportunity to see Boston; and when Oscar