M RS. GRAHAM heartily sympathized in the joy of the mother and son, who, parted by death, as each supposed, had come together so strangely.

"You look ten years younger, Mrs. Conrad," she declared. "I never saw such a transformation."

"It is joy that has done it, my dear friend. I was as one without hope or object in life. Now I have both."

"Your husband has your fortune yet."

"I care not for that. Oliver is more to me than money."

"Thank you, mother," said Oliver; "but we must be practical, too. I have learned that money is a good thing to have. Mr. Kenyon has been led to wrong us, and make us unhappy, by his greed for money. We will punish him by depriving him of it."

"I quite agree with you, Oliver," said Mr. Graham, who was present. "Your step-father should be punished in the way he will feel it the most."

"What course would you advise me to pursue, Mr. Graham?" asked Oliver.

"I am not prepared with an immediate answer. We will speak of it to-morrow."

Learning how much kindness Oliver had received from Nicholas Bundy, Mrs. Conrad invited him to bring his friend with him in the evening, and the invitation was cordially seconded by Mr. Graham.

Nicholas was overjoyed to hear of the good fortune of Oliver, but hesitated at first to accept the invitation.

"I\'m a rough backwoodsman, Oliver," he said. "In my early life I was not so much a stranger to society, but now I shan\'t know how to behave."

"You underrate yourself, Mr. Bundy," said Oliver. "I can promise you won\'t feel awkward in my mother\'s society, and Mrs. Graham is very much like her."

Nicholas looked doubtful.

"You judge me by yourself, my boy," he answered. "Boys adapt themselves to ladies\' society easy, but I\'m an old crooked stick that don\'t lay straight with the rest of the pile."

"I don\'t care what you are, Mr. Bundy," said Oliver, with playful imperiousness; "my mother wants to see you, and come you must!"

Nicholas Bundy laughed.

"Well, Oliver," he said, "things seem turned round, and you have become my guardian. Well, if it must be, it must, but I\'m afraid you\'ll be ashamed of me."

"If I am, Mr. Bundy, set me down as a conceited puppy," said Oliver warmly. "Haven\'t you been my kind and constant friend?"

Nicholas looked pleased at Oliver\'s warm-hearted persistence.

"I\'ll go, Oliver," he said. "Come to think of it, I should like to see your mother."

When Nicholas and Oliver entered the elegant Graham mansion, the former looked a little uneasy, but his countenance lighted up when Mrs. Conrad, her face genial with smiles, thanked him warmly for his kindness to her boy.

"I couldn\'t help it, ma\'am," he said. "I\'ve got nobody to care for except him, and I hope you\'ll let me look after him a little still."

"I shall never wish to come between you, Mr. Bundy. I am glad that he has found in you a kind and faithful friend. His step-father, as you know, has been his worst enemy and mine. I hoped he would prove a kind and faithful guardian to my boy, but I have been bitterly disappointed."

"He\'s a regular scamp, as far as I can learn," said Nicholas bluntly. "You haven\'t got a picture of him, have you? I should like to know how the villain looks."

"I have," said Oliver. "This morning, in looking over my carpet-bag, I found an inner pocket, in which was a photograph of Mr. Kenyon. I believe Roland once used the bag, and in that way probably it got in."

"Have you the picture here?" asked Mr. Bundy.

"Here it is," answered Oliver, drawing it from his pocket.

Nicholas took it, and as he examined it his face wore a look of amazement.

"Who did you say this was?" he asked.

"Mr. Kenyon."

"Your step-father?"

"Yes."

"It is very singular," he remarked, in an undertone, his ............