John Brown's Christmas Hamper.

man behind the counter , indifferently . "Oh , I seo—samo namo as your OAVU , sir . John Zacchary BroAvn . I suppose it's thc same address . " " Mine is Eglantine House . Ashford Road , Great Ashford . What is his ?" " Number Ten , Ashford ROAV , Little Ashford , sir . Yon have come about the box he mentioned , no doubt •"

" I have come about nothing of the kind , sir , and I beg' that you'll niind your OAVU business , " said Mr . BroAvn , AA-ith singular sharpness . "No , I ' ve nothing * else to inquire about ; I knoAV all that T . want to ICUOAA " , and I wish you good evening . " He hobbled aAvay with unusual quickness , and turned out of thc station into the lighted street . There wan a fi'OAvn upon his forehead , and a tightening of the grim mouth which did not portend good

things . But as he Avalked along the pavement , a four-Avheeled cab passed him , and at the A \ 'indoAv he caught sig ht for a moment of the hoy ' s face—a face AA-ith a doubtful , scared , puzzled expression upon it , as different as possible from the brightness Avhich had adorned it AA'hen he Avas welcoming his sisters home . The old man saiv it , stopped short , planted his stick firmly upon the ground , and , to the amazement of the bystanders , burst into a series of short , convulsive chuckles .

" So that s where Alice Kirby s hamper has gone t » - ! hc exclaimed at last , Avhen tho paroxysm had had its Avay . " Now I Avonder Avhut that boy A \ -ill do . I should like to see Alice Kirby ' s face AA'hen she knoAvs what became of thc precious hamper that she sent to me . "

And then he felt in his pocket for his purse , and Avith a grim smile lingering about his lips , hc turned into one of the busiest streets of the toA \ 'ii , and made some exceedingly seasonable purchases at several shops in the neighbourhood .

+. . CHAPTER III . Nobody could imagine what ailed Jack Brown that evening . As he Avent home Avith his sisters in the cab he Avas morose and irritable in the extreme . His brightness , his gaiet y of heart had left him ; he felt himself an extremel y ill-used boy , and Avas disagreeable in consequence .

Is Jack ahvays like this ? Nora asked of Edie in private , when they reached the girls' room upstairs . "No , indeed , " said Edie , dismally . "I can ' t think Avhat is the matter with him . He was as nice as possible before you eame . 1 ha \ 'e noA-er seen him like this before . "

" Perhaps he has a cold coining on , " said Kathleen , pncilieally . '' We must try not to vex him , and 1 daresay lie will be nllright byand-bye . " But all efforts not to vex Jack that evening Avere unavailing . He Avas ready to be vexed with evervthing and with everybodv . Even

his mother had to utter a gentle remonstrance , and his father spoke sharply more than once , for Jack refused to join in any amusement , declined to touch thc cake or the apples that came out of the hamper , and finally made himself so unpleasant that even ho felt if the hrs I thing he could do to betake himself to bed .

His little brothers both slept in the same room , but Jack had a bed to himself , and here he tossed and tumbled for what seemed to him many Aveary hours . In reality , it was not more than eleven o ' clock Avhen he heard at last his mother ' s light footstep on tin stairs and raised himself against his pilloAVs to call her name . "' Are you aAvake , darling Y Yes , Avhat is it Y "

'' Mother , " said . lack , in a mullled voice 1 , '' Avould you conic here for a few minutes Y " His mother came in and sealed herself beside his bed . She hail a feeling that she Avas about to hear some confession . She kneAv , Avithout being told , that something was Avei g hing on her boy ' s mind . "Mother , I ' ' C something to tell vou . " She expected that , but

John Brown's Christmas Hamper.

she did not expect Avhat followed . " Mother , I ' m just a thief and a robber , and I knoAv that you and father Avill never trust me any more . " " I . think AVC shall , Jack—and all thc more for a brave confession . What is tho matter Y ' "

" Well , mother , it ' s in this Avay . It ' s about that hamper . It isn't meant for us at all . It belongs to somebody else , and I kneAv it , and I ' ve let you- use the things all the CA'oning as if they belonged to us . " " Jack ! "' Tho confession certainl y was of a nature to startle any mother . " Bnfc you did nofc knoAv at first—when it came , I mean ?"

" Oh , no , I didn't know then . It Avas at the railAvay stationwhen I went to meet the girls . I AA'eiit into the Pai * cels Office to ask about their tin box , and there Avas an old gentleman Avith grey hair , and he looked very cross . And he AA'as asking about a hamper that onsrht to haA ' e como to him from Selby—and I remembered the

label said "Selby "—and hc said that hc lived in Ashford Roadnot Row , you see , as we thonght—and that his name AVUS John Zacchary BCOAVII . Yes , mother , John Zacchary BroAvn . And if ever you heard before of such a coincidence , I ' m sure I ncA'er did !" concluded Jack , gloomily . " But—Jack ! Avhy did you not speak to him at once ? "

"Mother , " said Jack , impressively , "I had one of his apples in my pocket at that very moment , and IIOAV could I tell him ? " ' It is much Avorsc now , " said Mrs . Brown , thinking Avith dismay of the Avedgcs of cake that had been consumed , of the vanquished apples , and the roasted foAvl and sausages Avhich she and her husband and the girls had had for supper . " I knoAV it is , " said Jack , " and Avhat arc AVO to do ? "

" I must ask your father , " said his mother . " I am sure he -vvill help yon as far as hc can ; but—oh , my dear boy , I never knew you not strai ghtforAvard before ! " " ft seemed such a shame , " said Jack , with a sort of gulp . " The things Avero just what AVC wanted . And that old felloAV looked quite AVCII off and comfortable "

I ears choked his utterance then , and Mrs . BroAvn could not maintain her reproachful attitude , but held him in her arms and kissed him , and tried to console him as well as she could for what she could not hel p feeling to be a very great misfortune . And after a time Jack AVUS comforted and lay down to sleep .

There was one aspect of thc matter that had not as yet occurred to Mrs . Brown . Absorbed in Jack ' s repentance and her own inward disappointment , she had not stopped to wonder at the coincidence of names of Avhich he had spoken . It AVUS reserved for her husband to say , with a curious mingling of vexation and amusement ,

"Why the old man must be my uncle—old John Zacchary Brown !"

" But Avhat brings him to Ashford Y " " Why , he and my father were connected Avith Ashford more or less for ma 113- years of their early life . I dare say it is the force of early association that has brought him back again . I have not heard of him for years . It is a little aAvkAvard that this should have happened ivith him . " 11 Poor Jack ! he is vcry much distressed . "

• ' He reall y deserves to be . Madeline , this is not a matter in which I can do veiy much . The boy uill have to hear the brunt of it . He must take back the hamper , and as many of its contents as AVC have not consumed , and make his apologies to the old man , as early tomorrow morning as possible . Hc can go in a cab . He will just explain the whole thing and old John must do as he pleases about it . He can't interfere . "

" You don ' t think Mr . Brown will be hard on Jack ? Our dear , brave , high spirited little Jack ! Oh , John , I don't think I can let him go alone ! " and Mrs . Brown ' s eyes filled with tears . Her husband drew her tenderly down 1111011 his knee . 1

" Don ' t be afraid , darling , " he said . " I never knew Uncle John do an unjust thing but once—and that was when ho refused to see us after our marriage . 1 don't think that he Avill be hard upon our . lack . But I stand to it that Jack must go .

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