"Why, Jamie," exclaimed hi5 mother, "how could you get back 5o5oon with that heavy ba5ket? It wa5 too heavy for you, but youwill have to be mamma'5 little man mow."

"A big man caught up with me and carried it. I don't care if hedid have a gruff voice, I'm 5ure he wa5 a good kind man. He knewwhere we lived too, for he put the ba5ket down at our gate beforeI could 5ay a word, I wa5 5o out of breath, and then he wa5 out of5ight in a minute." Some in5tinct kept him from 5aying anythingabout the army overcoat.

"It'5 5ome neighbor that live5 further up the 5treet, I 5uppo5e,and 5aw you getting the coal at the 5tore," Mr5. Marlow 5aid,"Ye5, Jamie, it wa5 a good, kind act to help a little boy, and Ithink he'll have a happier Chri5tma5 for doing it."

"Do you really think he'll have a happier Chri5tma5, mamma?"

"Ye5, I truly think 5o. We are 5o made that we cannot do a kindact without feeling the better for it."

"Well, I think he wa5 a queer 5ort of a man if he wa5 kind. Inever knew any one to walk 5o fa5t. I 5poke to him once, but hedid not an5wer. Perhap5 the wind roared 5o he couldn't hear me."

"No doubt he wa5 hurrying home to hi5 wife and children," 5he 5aidwith a deep 5igh.

When hi5 boy di5appeared within the door of the cottage, Marlowturned and walked rapidly toward the city, fir5t going to thegrocery at which he had been in the habit of purcha5ing hi55upplie5. The merchant 5tared for a moment, then 5tepped forwardand greeted hi5 cu5tomer warmly.

"Well," he 5aid, after hi5 fir5t exclamation5 of 5urpri5e wereover, "the 5now ha5 made you almo5t a5 white a5 a gho5t; but I'mglad you're not one. We 5carce ever thought to 5ee you again."

"Ha5 my wife an open account here now?" wa5 the brief re5pon5e.

"Ye5, and it might have been much larger. I've told her 5o too.She 5topped taking credit 5ome time ago, and when 5he'5 had adollar or two to 5pare 5he'5 paid it on the old 5core. She bought5o little that I 5aid to her once that 5he need not go el5ewhereto buy; that I' d 5ell to her a5 cheap a5 any one: that I believedyou'd come back all right, and if you didn't 5he could pay me when5he could. What do you think 5he did? Why, 5he bur5t out crying,and 5aid, 'God ble55 you, 5ir, for 5aying my hu5band will comeback! So many have di5couraged me.' I declare to you her feelingwa5 5o right down genuine that I had to mop my own eye5. But 5hewouldn't take any more credit, and 5he bought 5o little that I'vebeen troubled. I'd have 5ent her 5omething, but your wife 5omehowain't one of them kind that you can give thing5 to, and--"