John Brown's Christmas Hamper.

CHAPTER IV . Christmas Day morning was brilliant with sunshine . The air was keen , but the sky was blue and cloudless , and tbo sunlight glittered in the sheets of ice and frost which Avere still to be noted on the country roads . In the toAvn of Great Ashford , the bells Avere beginning to ring for morning service ; and people Avere already to he

seen issuing from their doors—Avhole families of them—in Sunday garments , with prayer books in their hands . It Avas just after halfpast ten when a cab , which had driven from Little Ashford , turned into Ashford Road and dreAV up at the gate of Eglantine House . This cab had two occupants , a lady and a boy ; and on the top of thc cab a large hamper had been securely tied .

Only the boy got out of the cab . Poor Jack ' s heart Avas rather heavy ; he had had a A'ery unpleasant time of it that morning ; for his father , although kind , Avas someAA hat ( and not unnaturally ) vexed ; and thc disappointment of tho children over the loss of the hamper and its contents had been visited upon his head . " Because . "

as "Mabel said , " if AVC had not eaten the things it would not be half so bad ; but Jack let us gobble them up , and IIOAV has to go and tell , and this Mr . John Zacchary BroAvn , whoever he is , -will think us all abominably greedy , as AA'ell as dishonest . " And this Avas hard for Jack to bear .

He rang the boll manfully , however , and asked to see Mr . Brown . The servant looked at him Avith some surprise , it Avas not often that a handsome boy of tAvelve called to see " the master . " Hc AA'as shoAvn into a room that seemed to him oppressively grand and solemn ; it Avas the library of Eglantine House , and it AV . IS furnished in the heavily magnificent style dear to the heart of the middle-class

Englishman . Here Jack Avaited nervously until Mr . BroAvn appeared . The old man entered with a face of portentous gravity . If there A \ as a tAvinkle underneath the bushy grey eyebrows , Jack did not see it , and AA-ould not have realised its meaning if he had seen it . He looked very formidable in the boy ' s eyes as hc stood opposite him , and asked him gruffly Avhat his business AA'as .

" If you please , sir , is your name , Mr . John Zacchary Broivn r " began Jack , blushing up to the roots of his hair as he spoke . " Yes , it is , " said Mr . Bi-own . " And Avhat is yours ? " " My name is John Zacchary BroAvn , too , " said Jack . " And so is my father ' s . And that is IIOAV AVC came to make such a mistake as

Ave did yesterday . " "A mistake , eh ? " said the old man , letting himself slowl y doAvn into a leather-covered chair , and resting both hands upon the stick which die planted between his legs . " Well , let me hear AA-hat the mistake Avas . "

" It was about a hamper , " said Jack , still A'ery red . " It came to Little Ashford Station , and it was delivered at onr house in Ashford ROAV . If you look at the address , you will see that it looks exactly like Ashford ROAV , because it isn ' t very well written ; but father says that it is Ashford Road , and that AVC ought to haA'e seen . It came AA'hen he was out , and AVC all thought it Avas for us , and we opened it . "

"And AA'hat makes you think that it AVUS not for you ! " asked Mr . BroAvn . Jack glanced round the room helplessly , and Avished that he could sink through thc floor ; but as this mode of exit Avas not open to him , he in desperation took up his tale once more .

" I was at Great Ashford Station last ni ght , " he said , "to meet my sisters . They were coming home from school . Kathleen is governess there , and Nora pupil teacher . I dare say you didn ' t sec Edie and me , but I saw you . It AVUS in the Parcels ' Ollice . Yon were asking about a parcel from Yorkshire ; and then I knew all at once that ifc must he the hamper that we hnd got . "

" Ah , I see , " said the old man . "So you went home and told your father and mother , eh ? And they have sent mc back my hamper Y It would haA-e been a trifle more useful if it had come back last night , you know , but I suppose it was too late'for you to come . However , better late than never . "

" Oh , but that isn ' t all , " said Jack , hurriedly . " . 1—1 heard yoiu address and everything , and I—I didn't know what to do . Iliad eaten some of your apples already , and so had the children at home . And ive had cut the cake , and mother had said she should have a fowl roasted at once for father and the 1 girls . And I tried to think that I had been mistaken—"

"And went on eating the apples and the fowl Y " said the old man drily . " Oh , I see . " "No , no , I didn ' t , " said Jack , becoming if possible redde . " than before . "I didn't touch one of them again . But I didn't know what to do . And at last—about 11 o ' clock last night—I told mother and she talked to father about it , and they sent me here to tell you .

John Brown's Christmas Hamper.

And please , I was to say that I ' m aAvfully sorry that AA'c ' ve eaten one foAvl and some saugages , and nearly all the apples and part of the cakes , and if you will let us send you back what wc have had , which wc can do when tho shops are open to-morrow , you knoAv , Ave shall bo very glad ; because Ave are not thieves , and AVC don't Avant anythin"' that does not belong to ns . "

" J hen Avhy did you not tell your parents at once that you knew whom the hamper belonged to ? " " I knoAv I ought . I ' m very much ashamed of myself , sir , and if you think I ought to be punished , I'll take any punishment yon like . Father savs I deserve it . "

Indeed Y And suppose I gaA-e yon a good thrashing with my big stick for taking what didn't belong to yon , would he think you deserved that Y " " I suppose ho Avould , " said Jack , bravely . He looked the old man strai ght in the face Avithout flinching . " He told me I must do jnst what you pleased about it . "

" And suppose , " said the old man , knitting his grey broAvs A ery scA'erely , " suppose I werc to send for a policeman and giA e you in charge for stealing my property—Avhat then Y " I can't help it . You are to do what you like , sir , " said Jack , in a very IOAV A-oice . And then , with an evident effort : " But I hope you won't send me to prison , because of mother and father . They Avould be so dreadfully sorry—and the girls too . "

" Well , IIOAV , look here , " said the old man , " I'll make a bargain with you , young man . I'll undertake not to send you to prison if you will ansiver truthfully every question I ask you for thc next fh'e niinutes . Eh Y Yes or no Y "

" Yes , sir—if I can . " " Oh , yon can . There Avill be no difficulty about that . NOAV then —the policeman or the promise : which is it to be ? Yes or no ? " " Yes , " said Jack , desperately . There was no other way out of it " Well , then , to begin with , I don't understand Avhy you were so reluctant to tell your mother about the hamper . Was it the sight of the cakes and apples that tempted you ? " " No—not as much as "

" Well , Avhat ?" " There might not have been much dinner for us at all , " said Jack , looking doAvn , " and it seemed so horrid that AVC should not haA'e a proper dinner like other people . " " Why Avhat Avere you going to eat to-day , then Y "

" I think there was some beet—I don t know . There was a sort of plum pudding—I mean a suet puding Avith plums in it , not a real , broAvn plum pudding like yours . It didn't go round last year . Mother and Kathleen never had a bit—they often don ' t when AVO are all at home . There arc so many of us , yon see !" " How many Y "— " Ten , sir . "

" AVhat has yonr father a year Y " " Jack shook his head . " I don't know . I only knoAv that it is under two hundred and fifty pounds . I ' ve heard him say so . " " TAA-O hundred and fifty to bring up ten children upon ! " exclaimed Mr . Brown . " Why , it ' s scandalous ! "

Io which observation Jack made iio reply . "So your name ' s John Zacchary Brown , too , is it ? said the old man , after a moment ' s pause , " Yes , sir . " "' And AVIIO are vou called after Y "

"M y father , sir . " " Yonr father—uniph ! And AVIIO was he called after , pray . " " Yon , I think , sir , " said Jack , looking innocentl y into the old man ' s face . " Me , eh Y Well , I ' m yonr father ' . * nncle , as I suppose you know . That makes mc your great-uncle . Arc you glad of that '* ' " Jack Avas silent .

"Come , you promised to answer . Arc you glad of that ? " "No , " said the IIOA ' , ( lushingagain all over his fair face . " No ! Wh y not " r Out with it , No lies , mind . " " 1 don ' t tell lies , " said thc boy indignantly . " I should be very glad to have an uncle if he were kind to mof her and father ; hut if ifc is ( rue that vou would never sneak to them airum because father

married mother , who is the dearest , SAveetest , nicest mother in all the world , why , then I can ' t be glad that you are my great-uncle at all . " . lohn Zacchary Bnnvn smiled at this speech—an odd smile , Avhich made his face groAv young and his eyes gleam tenderl y beneath his bush y brows—and then he raised himself sloAvly out of the old leathern chair .

" Boy , he said , " I like you . I think you are honest . You Avill ncA'cr repent having spoken the truth to me . Now , I'll tell you what you can do . Stay here and have dinner Avith me , and then I'll drive

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