they would have gone with Bart West without a question.

"Well, how are you goin' to get home?" asked the Providence boy.

"That's just what we don't know. We don't dare to go to the steamer,
'cause that man might catch Ned again. I'm afraid we'll have to walk,
if that West boy don"t own the boat."

"Walk !" echoed the messenger, "why, it would take you a year to do it,
an' then I hain't
sure that you could get there."

"Well, what can we do? Can't you help us somehow, if you know all the
folks here?" .

" I s'pose I could," said the new acquaintance, as he rubbed his chin,
reflectively. If I should tell our manager about it, I guess he could
telegraph to New York to find out if it was all right; an' then he
could fix it so's you could go back on the boat; but he couldn't send
the other feller, 'cause, you see, he hain't one of the crowd."

"Oh, don't go away an' leave me here, will you, Joe?" asked Ned,
imploringly, a sense of
utter loneliness coming over him as he thought of what might happen to
him if he were left alone.

" Indeed, I won't, Ned. If we can't get home together, I'll stay and go
with you, if we have to walk every step of the way."

Ned stole his hand shyly into Joe's, to thank him for the promise, and