Seth understood at once that the girl was yet ignorant of his attempt to run away, and his heart swelled with gratitude toward the little woman who had thus far kept secret what he would have been ashamed to tell.
Just then Snip was of far more importance in the eyes of Aunt Hannah’s niece than was his master, and after a hasty “good-morning” she ran away with the dog at her heels for the accustomed exercise before breakfast.
“Come in an’ wash your face, my dear. Breakfast will be cooked by the time you are ready to eat it, and such work as you are doing may as well be left until a more convenient season.”
Seth felt forced to obey this summons promptly; but he did not dare meet the little woman’s glance. Had he observed her closely, however, it would have been seen that she studiously avoided looking toward him. Aunt Hannah was averse to causing pain, even to the brutes which came in her way, and at this particular time she understood very much of what was in the boy’s mind.
Seth feared lest in the “prayer before breakfast” some reference might be made to what he had attempted to do during the night; but his fears were groundless. The little woman asked that her Father’s blessing might fall upon the homeless; but the words were spoken in the same fervent, kindly tone as on the evening previous, and again the boy thanked her in his heart.
When the morning meal had come to an end Gladys was eager Seth should join her and Snip on an excursion through the grove where squirrels were said to be “thick as peas,” and under almost any other circumstances the guest would have been delighted to accept the invitation; but now he insisted that there was very much work to be done before nightfall, which would force him to remain near the house.
“We’ve only to plant the garden,” Aunt Hannah interrupted, “an’ then there’s no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy a stroll among the trees.”
Seth remained silent, but determined to do all in his power to atone for what seemed to him very nearly a crime, and Gladys decided that she must also take part in the sowing of the seeds.
Until noon the three, with Snip as a most interested spectator, worked industriously, and then, as Aunt Hannah said, “there was nothing to be done save wait patiently until the sun and the rain had performed their portion of the task.”
Seth did not join Gladys and Snip in their afternoon romp, but continued at his self-imposed tasks until night had come, doing quite as much work with his mind as his hands. Twenty times over he resolved to tell the little woman exactly why he was forced to run away from New York, and as often decided he could not confess himself such a criminal as it seemed certain, because of the advertisement, he really was.