The Arizona sentinel., 1889-01-26
NUMBER 9.

| apple orchard? I would have been glad to give you any number of apples had you come to me frankly and asked for them. But you preferred to steal them"
 He sat some time in silence, looking earnestly at the boy, then continued:
 "I thought when brought you in here that would punish you as you de- serve; but l have changed my mind- You can go; but remember, if you ever set foot on my place again, I'll give you thrashing you'll never forget"
 Fred made no reply. But he felt very humble and contrite as he walked slow ly out of the kitchen, and took his way to the woods. He was greatly relieved to be out of the way of those keen gray eyes, which had the power to make him feel so mean, so utterly ashamed Of himself, and he thought he would al- most rather have taken the ''thrashing than the lecture. He saw nothing of his friends, and 1t was dark when at length he reached home, weary and out of sorts
 '.You look tired out, Fred" said his mother, as he came in. ''But here is something that will make you forget all about it.n and she took a letter from her pocket.
 "From Uncle Jabez?" cried Fred.
 ''Yes, and he has bought farm near Hopedale station, only two miles by rail. He says it is beautiful place, with every thing we need in the way Of water, shade and fruit And we are to join him as soon as possible. So we will leave here by the first of the month after all."
 Fred had so much to do during the next ten days in helping his mother pack up her household goods that he had little time to think of the unpleas- ant adventure with the old gentleman; but whenever he did think of it he felt decidedly uncomfortable, and resolved that as long as he lived he would never visit again the vicinity of that stone farmhouse.
 It was beautiful September day when he and his mother arrived at Hopedale station, and they found a light wagon waiting to convey them to Valley View, as Uncle Jabez's farm was called
 The driver, a young negro, informed Mrs. Morris that her uncle had been toe busy to spare the time to meet her, but would be ready to receive her at the farm, three miles distant.
 ''It would have been shorter for you to have driven across from Box borough" said the negro ''It ain't moren seven miles by the county road. But seein' as you'd have so much lug gage Mr. Holden thought you'd better come by rail. "
 As the wagon turned a bend in the road the negro turned to Fred:
 ''See that stone house on the hill, y he said. That's the place"
 Fred looked in the direction indi- cated, and every particle of cOler left his face. For moment he thought he must be dreaming. But, no. He knew that stone house too we'll to be mistaken in it. It was the same in the kitchen of which he had sat facing that terrible old man and listened to that well-re- membered lecture.
 Not word did he utter as the wagon drew up to the gate. He was ''in forit. " There was no escape. But when Uncle Jabez appeared at the front door, and after welcoming his niece warmly, turn ed with outstretched hand toward her son, with a ''And this is your boy, my dear" poor Fred felt as if he would have welcomed a sudden cyclone that would have whirled him a hundred miles away.
 Fortunately Mrs. Morris had entered the house, and did not see her uncle's hand fall by his side again without having touched that of her son; did not see the look of surprise and grief that came upon that wrinkled, kindly face, nor Fred's utter and very evident misery.
 | Without word Mir. Holden followed | his niece into the house, and it was not until bedtime, when uncle and nephew were alone in the kitchen for few min utes, that any thing was said between them concerning that which lay so heavily upon their minds.
 Fred" said the old gentleman, ''the less we say now about that affair of ten days ago the better perhaps, for l am at a loss how to act. :"
 ''You said if I ever set foot on your place again you'd give me thrashing,' said Fred. ''I suppose l ought to take it. I confess that I deserve it"
 ''Perhaps so. But for your mothers ! sake I won't give it to you now. I'll hold it over you, however, and if you ever again give me cause to be ashamed of you I'll administer it with compound interest"
 It is hardly necessary to say that Fred never received that thrashing, nor that he never again robbed an apple orchard. His first experience i'll that line was his last. But as long as he lived he never forgot the shame and humiliation he suffered during that dreadful quarter of an hour he had sat facing his unknown uncle, who was to prove, next to his mother, the best and dearest friend he ever had.-Ft0rence ID IJoUoa,oH S03 CtbSoO0o SfOol1ord