Five minutes after Jack had left the house, Peggy threw on her old cloak, and, at a safe distance, followed her youthful charge, meaning to keep him under her eye, and watch lest he should be carried off by Lyman Taylor. But luckily for Jack, whose meeting with Mark would otherwise have been detected, she changed her plan, when she recognized a little in advance Lyman himself on State Street.
"It'll be better to watch him," she decided, and gave up following Jack.
Meanwhile Jack had not been at his usual stand more than ten minutes, when Mark came up.
"I am glad you are ahead of time, Jack," he said. "Come along with me."
CHAPTER XXXII.
JACK IS PURSUED.
"Are you goin' to take me away to-day?" asked Jack, who wished to be assured that the dream was coming true.
"Yes, Jack, but I can't take you away as you are. I know a place near by where you can take a good bath. I will leave you then, and go round by myself and buy you some clothes. I can guess your size."
He led the way to a barber's shop which advertised baths, procured a ticket, and leaving Jack with strict injunctions to wash himself thoroughly, sallied out in search of an outfit for his young companion. That did not take long. He returned with two good sized bundles, and requested Jack to dress himself in them. When Jack emerged from the bath-room he was quite transformed. He was still thin, and his features looked pinched, but his dress was, in all respects, that of a boy belonging to a well-to-do family.
"Now I think I must have your hair cut, and you will do."