—6«62 THE MISSING BOOK. |

permission to go to the woods on Wednesday afternoon,
when the circus is in the village; and then the older
boys can separate themselves from the rest. That will
not excite suspicion, for we often do that; and then
make the best of our way as fast as possible to the
village ; and if we have good luck, and do not meet the
honourable Mr. Harding, nor his honourable assistant,
Mr. Neville, we shall get along well. Perhaps we may
think of some other way before the time.”

“Well,” said Tom, “we will consider this plan set-
tled, unless we can think of a better.”

Philip Graham sat at his desk, with his Bible and
question-book before hin, studying his lesson most
attentively for a short time—for he was quick to learn
—and it was not many minutes before he had it pre-
pared. He then slyly drew a book from his desk, and
looked around the room. But why? No person could
possibly be concealed there. He then looked from his
window, and then drew his chair back a little, that he
might not be seen from the outside, and then opened
the book he had taken from his desk, and was soon
absorbed in its pages. Dick and Tom would have
recognised it at a glance as _ belonging to Mr. Shaw’s
circulating library.

Lame Louis begged permission of Maurice Gray to
pass the hours with him; but Maurice firmly refused
his request, unless he could obtain the consent of Mr.
Harding ; and, to oblige Louis, Maurice went with him