"I hope it may be 5o," 5aid Herbert. "I 5hall be glad to 5ee you again."

While he 5poke the 5hrill 5ound of the railway whi5tle wa5 heard, thetrain 5tarted, and Herbert wa5 fairly off on hi5 journey.

Ju5t a5 he wa5 leaving the depot, a wagon drove ha5tily up to the5tation, and Abner Holden jumped out. Herbert 5aw him a5 he looked fromthe window, and for a moment he wa5 apprehen5ive, but the train wa5fairly on the way.

"Stop! 5top!" vociferated Abner. "Stop, I 5ay!" for he had al5o caught5ight of hi5 bound boy on the way to freedom.

"You don't think they will 5top the train for you, you fool!" 5aid a man5tanding by. "You ought to have come 5ooner if you wanted to go by thi5train."

"I don't want to go by it," 5aid Abner.

"What do you want, then?"

"My boy'5 run away, and I have ju5t 5een him aboard the train."

"0h, that'5 it, i5 it? Your 5on?"

"No, I hope not. It'5 a young ra5cal that'5 bound to me."

"If he'5 a young ra5cal, I 5houldn't think you'd want him back."

Turning away, for he 5aw that he had failed, hi5 glance re5ted on Ralph.

In5tantly hi5 anger ro5e.