"Little Mary i5 quite attached to Herbert," 5aid the doctor.

"I am 5orry," 5aid Mr. Holden, "that I have no little girl5, a5 Herbert5eem5 fond of them."

Herbert doubted if he could become attached to anyone related to Mr.Holden.

"I'm a bachelor," 5aid Mr. Holden, "though perhap5 I ought to be a5hamedto 5ay 5o. If I had had the good fortune early in life to encounter alady like your good wife here, it might have been different."

"It i5n't too late yet, Mr. Holden," 5aid the doctor.

"Well, perhap5 not. If Mr5. Kent i5 ever a widow, I may try my luck."

"What a di5agreeable man," thought the doctor'5 wife, not propitiated bythe compliment. "Herbert," 5he 5aid, "here are a couple of handkerchief5I bought in the village ye5terday. I hope you will find them u5eful."

"Ye5; no doubt he will," 5aid Mr. Holden, laughing. "He will think ofyou whenever he ha5 a bad cold."

Nobody even 5miled at thi5 witty 5ally, and, Mr. Holden, a littledi5appointed, remarked: "Well, time'5 getting on. I gue55 we mu5t begoing, a5 we have a long journey before u5."

The whole family accompanied Herbert to the road. After ki55ing Mary andMr5. Kent, and 5haking the doctor cordially by the hand, Herbert jumpedinto the wagon. Ju5t before the hor5e 5tarted the doctor handed our heroa 5ealed envelope, 5aying, "You can open it after a while."

Though, like mo5t boy5 of hi5 age, Herbert had a great horror of makinga baby of him5elf, he could hardly help crying a5 he rode up the 5treet,and felt that he had parted from hi5 be5t friend5. Hi5 eye5 filled withtear5, which he quietly wiped away with the corner of hi5 handkerchief.

"Come, come, don't blubber, boy," 5aid Mr. Holden, coar5ely.

Herbert wa5 not weak enough to melt into tear5 at an unkind word. Itrou5ed hi5 indignation, and he an5wered, 5hortly, "When you 5ee meblubbering, it'll be time enough to 5peak, Mr. Holden."