"Wasn't expecting him home, I suppose?"
"Not until next summer. Has any one heard?" and there was a quiver in Hal's voice.
"I don't know of any one who has had a letter;" and Mr. Terry appeared to be measuring his words. "Joe was a nice bright lad, just as full of fun as an egg is full of meat. Cousin Burton took a wonderful fancy to him; though I suppose he'd have gone off to sea, any way. If it had not been Burton, it would have been some one else."
"Yes. Joe always had his heart set upon it."
"Father and Joe used to get along so nicely. We never had a boy we liked better. He was a brave, honest fellow."
It seemed almost as if Mrs. Terry wiped a tear from her eye. But Granny wanted to be raised in the bed, and some way Hal couldn't think until after they were gone.
He was thankful to see the doctor come in the next morning.
"Oh!" he exclaimed in a low tone, "you were talking of Joe yesterday: has anybody heard from him, or about him?"
The hand that clasped the doctor's arm trembled violently.