sleeve. Mrs. Green was very tender-hearted in, spite of her
somewhat free tongue, and she was all sympathy immediately.

"There, there, Tom, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings," she
said soothingly. "I -- I was only fooling. Will you have a
piece of hot mince pie? It's just out of the oven."

"I - I don't know!" sobbed Tom. "You treat me so awful meanly!"

"I didn't mean it -- really I didn't. Come, sit down and have
the pie, that'sa good boy. I'm glad you are back, and you are
better than lots of the other cadets, so there!" And Tom slid
into a seat and devoured the generous slice of pie dealt out to
him with keen relish.

"It's really like home," he murmured presently.

'Mrs. Green, when you die, they ought to erect an awfully big
monument over your grave."

"But I'm not dying just yet, Tom -- pray don't speak of it."

"By the way, my aunt was dyeing when I left home," went on the
boy, as he moved toward the door.

"Indeed. Didn't you hate to leave her?"

"Not at all. She didn't seem to mind it."

"What was her trouble, Tom -- consumption?"