Mrs. Brown came down through the orchard to meet her husband.
"I see you caught him," she said. "We'll teach him not to take any more of our apples! Bring him along and send for the constable. He'll take him to the lockup!"
"Oh, please don't have me arrested!" begged the boy, who was a little older than Russ. "I never took any of your apples before, and I wouldn't have taken any now, only I was so hungry I couldn't help it. I didn't have any supper, and I didn't have any breakfast and I didn't see where I was going to get any dinner, and——"
"Here, Abner Brown, you let that boy go!" suddenly exclaimed Mrs. Brown, and there was a new note in her voice and a different look on her face. "Poor child! He's half starved, anybody can see that! And I have a good dinner almost cooked and ready to serve. You come right along with me, poor child. I'll give you your dinner with these other children."
"Oh, thank you!" said the boy, as the farmer let go of him. "Honest, I never took any of your apples before. I only just got here," he went on. "I've been walking a long way, and when I saw the apples I was so hungry I just couldn't help taking a few."
"Are you sure you were never in my orchard before?" asked Mr. Brown.
"Sure!" was the answer. "I never was in this town before. I don't even know the name of it."
"Of course this isn't the same boy, Abner," went on Mrs. Brown. "A body could see that with their eyes shut. The other boy, who's been taking our apples, has red hair. This boy's is brown. 'Tisn't the same one at all!"
"I'm glad of it," said the farmer. "But I would like to catch that chap who's been stealing from my orchard. Not that I mind a few apples. I'd give 'em to him willingly if he'd come and ask me. But I don't like a pesky apple thief! Though how you can see even red hair with your eyes shut, Mother, I don't know," he added, with a laugh at his wife.
"Never mind about that," she said to her husband. "He isn't the same boy, and I'm glad of it. Come on up to the house," she went on. "I reckon I can give you a better dinner than just apples, though they're good enough to eat when you want 'em."