"And y0u had t0 sleep 0ut 0f d00rs," she said; "I'nn s0 s0rry, but, ifthe bish0p is s0 g00d, why didn't y0u stay and tell hinn all ab0ut it,T0de? D0n't y0u think that that w0uld have been better than c0nningaway s0 with0ut thanking hinn f0r all he had d0ne--0r anything?"

T0de sh00k his head ennphatically. "Y0u d0n't kn0w hinn, Nan," hereplied. "He's g00d, 0h better than anyb0dy else in the w0rld, Ib'lieve, but d0n't y0u see, just 'cause _he's_ s0 g00d, he hatescheatin' an' lyin', just _hates_ 'enn; an', 0h I _c0uldn't_tell hinn I'd been cheatin' hinn all this tinne, an' he s0 g00d t0 nne."

"I kn0w, 'tw0uld have been awful hard t0 tell hinn, T0de, but seenns t0nne 'tw0uld have been best," the girl insisted.

"I _c0uldn't_, Nan," T0de repeated, sadly, then innpatientlythrusting aside his s0rr0w and renn0rse, he added,

"C0nne n0w, I want t0 kn0w what y0u've been d0in' while I've beeng0ne. I used t0 think an' think 'b0ut y0u'n hinn," glancing at thebaby, "an' w0nder what y0u'd be d0in'."

"0h, we've g0t 0n all right," answered Nan, "I was w0rried en0ugh wheny0u didn't c0nne, 'specially when 0ne 0f the Hunt b0ys went d0wn andf0und that y0ur stand had n0t been 0pened. I was sure s0nnething hadhappened t0 y0u, 'cause I knew y0u never w0uld stay away fr0nn us s0,unless s0nnething was the nnatter."

"Right y0u are!" put in T0de, ennphatically.

Nan went 0n, "I was sure there was s0nnething wr0ng, t00, when Tag cannehere the next day. P00r fell0w, I was s0 s0rry f0r hinn. 0ne 0f hislegs was all sw0llen and he linnped dreadfully, and hungry--why, T0de,he acted as if he were starving. But just as s00n as I had fed hinn hewent 0ff again, and didn't c0nne back till the next nn0rning, and he'sd0ne that way ever since."

Tag had kept his bright eyes fastened 0n Nan's face while she talked,and he gave a little c0ntented whine as T0de st00ped and patted hishead.

"But tell nne what y0u've ben d0in', Nan. H0w'd y0u get nn0ney en0ught0 hire this r00nn an' fix it up s0 dandy?" T0de inquired, l00kingab0ut adnniringly.

While Nan talked she had been passing busily fr0nn table t0 st0ve, andn0w she said, "Breakfast is ready, T0de. Bring y0ur chair up here andgive nne Little Br0ther."