THE NEW SCHOLAR. 17

“It is not often I have anything but my crutch to
lean on,” said lame Louis, looking up gratefully into
Maurice’s face with his sad eyes, as the other boys
all passed quickly by, and left the two far behind.

“My arm shall always be at your service,” said
Maurice, ‘if it suits you.”

“I can get along much faster with it,” said Louis ;
“and then I do not feel so lonely either to go with
some one, for the boys always reach the house and get
seated at table long before I can get there.”

A smile of satisfaction might have been seen on Mr.
Harding’s expressive face, as Maurice Gray entered the
dining-room with lame Louis leaning on his arm, and
a look as if he would have said, “I am not deceived, I
am sure, in my first impressions of this boy.”

 

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