Part 43 (2/2)
The boy's face took on a sober look, and he sed sooing to school and I ran away from home”
”What do you ht flashed over his mind ”Say, is your name Tom Inwold, and do you come from Plainfield?”
At this unexpected question the boy looked at Matt in a as they could well be
”Who told you who I was?” he gasped
”No one; I guessed it”
”But I don't know you”
”That's true We stopped in Plainfield a nuo, and there I met your mother”
”And what did she say?” faltered Tom Inwold
”She told me that you had run aith an auctioneer”
”And--and was that all?” went on the boy, his voice tre with emotion
”No; she was very anxious to have you coain She missed you very much, and she could not understand how you could have the heart to leave her”
At these words, which Matt delivered very seriously, the tears sprang into Tom Inwold's eyes Evidently he was not hard-hearted, and had been led astray purely by bad associates
”I--I wish I was back hoain,” he said in a low voice
”You do not like being an auctioneer's helper, then?”
”No, I don't I ht like you, but Gissem and Fillow treat me awful”
”In ay?”
”Well, in the first place they don't half feed es they promised”
”What did they promise you?”
”Five dollars a week to start on, and ten dollars when I orth it
I've been with theet a cent out of theo home?” asked Matt kindly, for he saw that the boy's better feelings had been touched