me this season, but he cleared out at the last town, and I'm running
the business alone now."

Toby's face expressed all the contempt he felt for the boy who
would run away from such a glorious life as Mr. Lord's assistant
must lead; but he said not a word, waiting in breathless expectation
for the offer which he now felt certain would be made him.

"Now I ain't hard on a boy," continued Mr. Lord, still confidentially,
"and yet that one seemed to think that he was treated worse and
made to work harder than any boy in the world."

"He ought to live with Uncle Dan'l a week," said Toby, eagerly.

"Here I was just like a father to him," said Mr. Lord, paying no
attention to the interruption, "and I gave him his board and lodging,
and a dollar a week besides."

"Could he do what he wanted to with the dollar?"

"Of course he could. I never checked him, no matter how extravagant
he was, an' yet I've seen him spend his whole week's wages at this
very stand in one afternoon. And even after his money had all gone
that way, I've paid for peppermint and ginger out of my own pocket
just to cure his stomach ache."

Toby shook his head mournfully, as if deploring that depravity which
could cause a boy to run away from such a tender hearted employer
and from such a desirable position. But even as he shook his head
so sadly he looked wistfully at the peanuts, and Mr. Lord observed