he boy's sleeve in a panic.

out my orders! Not one forkful of hay pitched down, and the men ready to g

ue," said Bo

won't forget!" the man reached over and gripped Bob by his shirt co

snarled Peabody,

on the gate, h

re you strike him! I'll scream till some one comes if you touch

nfronting the angry girl in the middy blouse w

f free, but was brought

ard the barn and observed the men watching him covertly. It was the better part

clenched teeth. "I'm going! You've had all

ightened his hold on

upposed to do this afternoon or you'll go back to the poorhouse. You can take your choice. The county has a place fo

agreed Bo

o stop for supper-you've several hours' lost ti

ith a powerful sling that sent him spinning into the dust. Brui

" said Peabody shortly, eyeing Betty with disfavor and turning on

gate. "He's the most absolutely hateful man that ever li

barn and climbed the loft ladder to see him. She had brought him some bread and water

body said. He might take it into his head to send me back to the poorhouse. He really needs a younger boy, one he can slam about more. I'm getting so I can fight back. I don't fan

dy. She sat at the top of the ladder, her feet hanging

week," she said judiciously. "It would be dr

eleven-thirty train from Glenside that will make some sort of conne

"Oh, Bob! don't go to-night. Wait

nkly upset by this determination of Bob's. Even as she pleaded she knew

ts are on the line; I saw them. You're dead tired after all this work, and it's

ll take me over fifteen minutes. I'll help myself to the shirts on the line as I go in

h in her voice sounding perilously close to tears. "W

her. "Don't you care-you'll be going to Washington as soon as you get word from

asked Betty, drying her eyes. "And

week Peabody has ragged me every meal. Sure I'm going to Washington to dig out a few facts from this Lockwood Hale. Now I'll throw down a little mor

pitched down, then followed Bo

he asked wistfully. "How soon are you going to

ell traipse around at night, Betty, and I'm not going till it is good and dark.

be anything I can do. Whistle under my window, please do, Bob. I'll

and his few belongings easily went into a square of old wrapping paper. He had e

with the possible exception of Mrs. Peabody, slumbered heavily. Bob slipped down the stairs, waking no one, unfastened the heavy front door, ne

ps was the marriage certificate of his parents, and he knew that there were one or two letters. When Joseph Peabody had taken him from the p

the earth to hide the traces of his hasty excavating. He went around to

ection and hope for him that it was a pity he could not see her clearly. "I'm wishing you the best

er, won't you? He'll understand. I'll write him the firs

nd confusion, Bob

ropping a little packet that landed at his feet. "Good-by

ounds would have tried a city lad's nerves in that long dark stretch that led him finally to the station. But Bob could identify every sound, and nature had always proved kind to him,

y had given him. Tucked under half a dozen chocolate wafers was a five dollar

rl!" he thought with mixe