The lost brother being found, Phaeton said the next thing to be done was to take home the bird he had rescued. I went with him on this errand. As we approached the house, Phaeton carrying the cage, a scene of desolation met our eyes. Nearly everything it contained had been brought out-of-doors, and had sustained more or less injury. The house itself, with all the windows and doors smashed out, the front burned to charcoal, the side so far wrenched apart from the rest of the frame that it could not be replaced, and the whole browned with smoke and drenched with water, was a melancholy wreck.
Mr. Glidden and his son John stood in the yard looking at it, and their countenances, on the whole, were rather sorrowful.
"Good-morning, Mr. Glidden," said Phaeton.
"Good-morning, sir."
"I should like to see Miss Glidden," said Phaeton.
"She is at her aunt's, over on West street," said Mr. Glidden.
Phaeton seemed a little disappointed.
"I've brought home her bird," said he. "I carried it out when the house was on fire, and took it up to our house for safety."
"My sister will be very much obliged to you," said John Glidden. "I'll take charge of it."
Phaeton intimated his entire willingness to run over to West street with the bird at once, saying that he knew the house where she was staying perfectly well; but John said he wouldn't trouble him to do that, and took the cage, which Phaeton gave up with some appearance of reluctance.