"Oh, yes, ma'am!" answered Clare, with a deep sigh.

She filled a big cup from the warm milk in the pail, and held it out
to him. He took it as a man on the scaffold might a reprieve from
death, half lifted it to his lips, then let his hand sink. It trembled
so, as he set the cup down on a shelf beside him, that he spilled a
little. He looked ruefully at the drops on the brick floor.

"Please, ma'am, there's Tommy!" he faltered.

His promise to Tommy had sprung upon him like a fiery flying serpent.

"Tommy! I thought you said the baby was a girl?"

"Yes, the baby's a girl; but there's Tommy as well! He's another of
us."

"Your brother, of course!"

"No, ma'am; I'm afraid he's a tramp. But there he is, you see, and I
must share with him!"

It grew more and more inexplicable!

A gruff, loud voice came from the yard. It was the farmer's. He was a
bitter-tempered man, and his dislike of tramps was almost hatred. His
wife and daughter knew that if he saw the boy he would be worse than
rude to him.

"There's the master!" cried the mother. "Drink, and make haste out of