“I’d have been as bad myself if it hadn’t been for you folks,” said Dave. “I’d have gone straight after him if you hadn’t caught me that time when I was stealing those apples,” he added, looking at Peter. “I only did that because I was hungry. It was the first time, but I guess it wouldn’t have been the last. That morning when they told me there’d been a robbery, I knowed it was Jim, and I couldn’t stay. I knowed you’d think it was me that done it if I ran away, but I couldn’t stay in the place where you folks had been so good to me, and my own brother had broke into the house.”
“And what have you been doing ever since?” asked Peter.
“I hid for a few days. Then I heard Jim was caught, so after that I went to Boston and got some work off and on down on the wharves. I’m out of it now, and I came out to Fordham, and a fellow I know loaned me this here boat, and I couldn’t help coming up to see how it looked here. I didn’t mean you to see me.”
“And will you come back to us now?” asked Peter.
“Come back!” repeated Dave. “You don’t want me to come back, and me running away, and having a brother in jail for robbing you?”
“Why, of course! I never supposed you had anything to do with it. I said so all along.”
Dave’s eyes rested upon the other boy’s face with an expression of dog-like devotion. Then he turned to Victoria.
“No, he never did think so,” said she; “but I must confess, Dave, that when you ran away, the rest of us doubted you. But we must talk to my sisters about it. Will you come up to-night and hear what they think?”
And Carney promised that he would.
The Starrs returned to the house in great excitement, eager to impart their news to the sisters at once, but they found a still greater surprise awaiting them. On the piazza were Aunt Sophia and Mr. Abbott in earnest conversation. Mr. Abbott, whom they had not seen at Glen Arden for so many months! He had been abroad for his health, and although his wards knew that his steamer was in, they had scarcely expected to see him so soon.