"Mr. Lawton," said Loammi, "this boy is Scott Walton. His mother was a cousin of ours. Pa has given him a place in the store, because he hasn't any money."

Seth Lawton looked at Scott eagerly.

"My boy," he said, grasping Scott's hand, "your mother was my favorite cousin. Poor Lucy, when I last saw her she was just married to your father. Is she—is she dead?"

"Yes, sir," answered Scott. "She died when I was but five years old."

"Poor Lucy, poor girl!" said the old man, sighing. "And your father?"

"He is dead, too. He died but a few weeks since on the ship that brought us over from Liverpool."

"And there were no other children?"

"No, I was the only one."

[Pg 81]

"Mr. Lawton," said Loammi, who had been listening impatiently, "you must excuse me, as I must go upstairs and prepare for dinner."

Mr. Lawton scarcely noticed Loammi's unceremonious exit, he was so occupied with Scott.

"So you are my cousin, too," he said, in a softened¹ voice. "I never saw you before, but I know I shall like you. You have a look like your mother."

"I was thought to look like mother," said Scott.

"How old are you?"

"I shall be sixteen in a few weeks."

"You are young to be an orphan². I judge from what your cousin says that you were left poor."

"Yes, father was unfortunate. He was so honest himself that he allowed people to cheat him."

"There are too many such cases. But I am glad that Cousin Ezra has opened his heart and given you a home."

"Yes," said Scott, briefly³.

He was not disposed to be ungrateful, but it did not seem to him that he owed a very large debt of gratitude⁴ to Mr. Little, who had taken[Pg 82] all his money and merely gave him his board in return for his services in the store.

"Do you find your cousin—what is his name?—a pleasant companion?"

"Loammi and I do not see much of each other, Mr. Lawton."

Seth Lawton looked at Scott shrewdly.

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