Part 13 (1/2)

Good-bye, mother Some day you'll think differently, and be sorry for all this injustice, and then--”

A tear ht of hisways, and of what a pity it was that they ever came there to his uncle's, and it was not the tear that made Don see so blindly

”I can't stand it, and I will not,” he cried, passionately ”Uncle hates ht, scoundrel as he is Uncle has robbed ht for et well off I'll coive up all he has taken”

Don talked to hiood deal more of this nonsense, and then, with his mind fully made up, he went to the chest of drawers, took out a handkerchief, spread it open upon the bed, and placed in it a couple of clean shi+rts and three or four pairs of stockings

”There,” he said, as he tied thehtly as so and start fair, so that I can be independent and be beholden to nobody”

Tucking the bundle under his ar that it was a very proreat checked blue and white handkerchief see to seek his fortune!” and he wished that he was not obliged to take it

But, setting his teeth, he left the room with the drawers open, and his best suit, which he had felt disposed to take, tossed on a chair, and then began to descend

It was a glorious suh he was in dirty, sht and attractive, and to produce a sensation of low-spiritedness such as he had never felt before

He descended and passed his mother's room, and then went down more slowly, for he could hear the -room, which he had to pass to reach the front door, outside which he did not care what happened; but now he had to pass that dining-rooe and by the stand upon which his cocked hat hung

It was nervous work, but he went on down the first flight, running his hand slowly along the hand-balustrade, all dohich he had so often slid while Kitty looked on laughing, and yet alaro that seeht, and ondering what to say if the door should open and his uncle -roo and stood in the doorway of hisas a step was heard upon the stairs

”Kitty!” he said to hiainst the door, which yielded to his pressure, and he backed in softly till he could push the door to, and stand inside, watching through the crack

There was the light, soft step coan to beat, he knew not why, till so seemed to rise in his throat, and made his breath co to her room, and in another moment she would be there, and would find him with the bundle under his arht he looked sharply round, bundle in hand, when, obeying the first impulse, he was about to push it beneath the bedclothes, but cast aside the plan because he felt that it would be noticed, and quick as thought he tossed the light bundle up on the top of the great canopy of the old-fashi+oned bedstead, to lie a of flue and dust

By that time the footsteps were at the door

”What shall I say?” Don asked himself; ”she ant to knohy I am here”

He felt confused, and rack his brains as he would, no excuse would coht footstep with the rustle of silk passed on upstairs, and Don opened the door slightly to listen His breath caone It was to his bedroohtly

”Don! Don, entle tones

For onehiested that he was to be scolded and disbelieved, and ers into his ears, he stepped out, glided down the staircase in the old boyish fashi+on of sliding down the banister, snatched his hat from the stand, and softly stole out to hurry down the street as hard as he could go

He had been walking swiftly so away fro straight towards the constable's quarters and the old-fashi+oned lock-up where Mikerid of the consequences of his holiday-

Don turned sharply round in another direction, one which led hi lay