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greeted him. The quick eye of Bart lett detected a new pallor, a vague anxiety in her face. "Come in and speak with me be fore you go, Mr. Bartlett," she said, quietly. "Will you, please?" The bagman nodded assent won deringly. He soon distracted the at tention of his young companion to some kittens in the garden and went into the neat little sitting room of the house. "I know you. are a true friend, Mr. Bartlett," spoke Mrs. Rawson grave ly, "and I venture to ask you to do something for me." ' "You can count on any service in my power," heartily declared old Bartlett "I am going to confide a secret to you," proceeded Mrs. Rawson. "I sep arated from my husband for cause three years ago. I hid myself and my child in .this village. I hoped to be left to live out my life as I saw fit What I feared has come. My hus band his discovered me." "He -was here he is trying to make you trouble?" began Bartlett, and he roused up lion-like. "Not himself, but he has sent an agent to represent him. This man, a lawyer, came to me today. He said that my husband is ill, dying in a neighboring city. He told me that his last wish is to see his boy, my darling little Benny. Oh, Mr. Bartlett! can, not you see that this is a plot to rob me of my child? The lawyer tried to tell me how I had misjudged my hus band. I refused to listen. Six years ago that false husband and father basely deserted me. Now he wishes to take the -one person I love away from me!" Old Bartlett could not determine the merits of the case, but he was true to Mrs. Rawson. She did not go into the details of her separation from her husband, but he believed she would always be in the right "I noticed a man waiting outside while the lawyer was here," con tinued Mrs. Rawson. "That was this I morning. Ever since, at intervals, this second man has lurked about the neighborhood. Don't you see?" cried the agitated woman "they are going to kidnap Benny! Perhaps the law yer is arranging some legal trick, while his accomplice watches this house to see that I do not escape their clutches with Benny. So you must take Benny away," declared the anxious mother. "You must hide him until I find out how far these wicked schemers will go." "Why, I "can do that," replied old Bartlett "Benny likes me and will stay with me. There Is my old hut It is isolated, no one ever comes near it Dear lady, leave it all to me I will carry Benny away in my bag." This was done. If any one was watching, they never dreamed that within the accustomed bag, snug and quiet as a mouse, Benny reposed. The novelty of the quaint home of the bagman prevented Benny from becoming lonely. The plan worked admirably, and old Bartlett was de lighted to be able to circumvent the designs of wicked plotters against the dear lady whom he so respected. That very evening the bagman chanced to be passing a clump of trees near the Rawson home. He be came an eavesdropper to the con versation of the lawyer and his as sistant. It opened his eyes to a wonderful truth. It changed the entire com plexion of the case. Mightily stirred up, old Bartlett decided to act on his own initiative. He hastened to his lonely hut. He took Benny a new journey not in the bag this time. He returned to the town the next morn ing alone. "Benny," spoke Mrs. Rawson anx iously, as Bartlett appeared at her home. "He is with his father I took him there and you are to join both of them right away," was the amazing reply of the bagman. "Don't get star tled now," he urged soothingly, "ev erything is all right Only listen, and jjggHglgy jfcjjgi Ji-lia--M(liB0l