“I’ll tell _you_ what I think it is,” answered Joseph, lifting his innocent young face toward that of the young man, “I believe it’s that Mr. Ward’s being in the house. He torments sister Anna, and she——Well, I really do believe she can’t bear him.” “Can’t bear him, Joseph?” cried Savage, with a sudden glow of the whole countenance. “Yes, it’s almost that, wicked as it is. I’m sure of it. Just as likely as not he has been following her out again, and trying to make her walk with him. That always makes her come back with red cheeks, and such angry eyes, that one doesn’t hardly know her.” “Are you sure that she does not like him, Joseph?” “Like? Why, she hates him. Only sister Anna can’t hate much, you know—it isn’t in her.” “But why does Mr. Ward follow your sister into the street, when he could so easily visit her at home?” “No he can’t, though. Anna goes into the bedroom if he only knocks. As for grandma, why she sits up so straight, and looks at him so steady, that he makes believe to ask for something, and goes away mad enough.” “Then he is never welcomed in your room?” “Welcomed! I should rather think not. Why, Mr. Savage, he isn’t the least bit of a gentleman. When grandma went down to his room and told him how inconvenient and unpleasant it was to have him there, and Anna so young, he almost laughed at her. Grandma’s eyes were as bright as stars, I can tell you, when she came up stairs again. She’s a real lady, is grandma, and it isn’t often that any one dares to treat her so.” “Did your grandmother really ask Mr. Ward to go away?” “Yes, she did, right to his face.” “Joseph, I have been keeping you a long time, breaking up business, and that isn’t fair. There is money enough for your whole stock. I can’t carry it away, you see; but sell the papers out at half price and go home.” Joseph took the offered money, and insisted on forcing some copies of his stock on Savage, who took them in order to give a business air to the transaction. “Don’t say any thing to your sister about what we’ve been talking of, Joseph,” he said, a little anxiously. “It might annoy her, you know, if she thought I knew she had been crying in the street.” “No,” said Joseph, confidentially. “I wouldn’t say any thing to make her feel bad for the world.” “But you are quite certain of all you’ve told me, little Joseph?” “Certain? Of course I am. But, Mr. Savage, if you’d just as lief call me Joseph without the little, I’d rather. When a boy gets into business for himself, it’s apt to hurt him in the way of trade to be called ‘little,’ our Robert says. It isn’t me, remember—I don’t mind; but our Robert is a capital business man, and he’s very particular about it ‘in a commercial point of view’—these are his very words.” “Well, Joseph, I’ll be careful.” “Thank you, sir; I hope you’ll be coming to see us soon. Grandma is always glad to see you.” “And no one else, Joseph?”