though there were many interesting things to look at in the town,
Archie determined not to stop. He was afraid he might meet some one he
knew, who would be sure to ask him where he was going with his bundle,
and what he was doing out so early. And anyhow he was very hungry, and
decided to get out of the town and to the farmhouses as soon as
possible. "I can work for my meal at a farmhouse," he said to himself,
"but in the town they'll take me for a regular tramp."

So poor Archie walked quickly through the town, still keeping to the
southern road, and saying to himself, as he passed every milestone,
"So much nearer New York." About a mile out in the country he came to
a large farmhouse, and he determined to enter and ask for a meal. He
had hard work to muster up enough courage to go in and ask for
anything, but finally he knocked timidly at the kitchen door, and was
frightened by a large dog which came barking around the corner. It
seemed to him that the animal would surely bite, but a large fat woman
opened the door just in time to let him in. "Hurry in, boy," she said,
"fer there's no tellin' what Tige might do ef he once gets a hold of
ye." So Archie stepped into the large kitchen, with its rafters
overhead, and its dining-table in the corner. "Sit down, boy," said
the woman. "I reckon you's thet new lad thet's come ter work over at
Mullins's, ain't ye?"

"No'm," said Archie, "I don't work anywhere. I'm on my way to New
York, where I expect to find a position, and I thought perhaps you'd
allow me to do a little work here this morning to earn my breakfast."

Good Mrs. Lane, for that was the woman's name, was horrified to think
that any one was alive and without breakfast at eight o'clock in the
morning. "Goodness me!" said she. "Why, you must be half-famished fer