66 The Brothers.

 

“Boys,” said Mr, Willis that morning, just
before he dismissed the school, “I have lost a
new knife that was given me by a friend the
other day. I fancy I dropped it when walking
on Saturday from here to Maverly Woods.
It was in a green case, with my initials upon
it in gold letters, ‘H.W? If any one can find
it, or hear of it, I shall be very much obliged
by his letting me know.”

There was a chorus of “Yes, sirs;” but
Johnnie got very red, and, as soon as they
were out of school, ran up to Ned again and
seemed to be questioning him eagerly. What
could it be? Stephen thought. The knife?
No; if Johnnie had known anything about
that, he would have told the master at once,
Stephen was sure.

Then what could it be? He wished Johnnie
would not have secrets with Ned Rice; he
did not like it. And with a little cloud of
sullenness settling over him, he turned and
plodded slowly homewards. Yet when his
brother overtook him, merry and full of kind-
ness, the sulky words soon changed to pleasant
ones, and they were friends again. Stephen
felt happy, and forgot all about Ned Rice.

But that night—Stephen never forgot the
misery of it, not even when he was a grown