"If you please, don't. I am a poor boy, and have run away from a hard master." "I won't tell anybody." "And I am very hungry." "Poor boy! How lucky that I have lots of goodies in my basket!" exclaimed she. "You shall eat all you can." "I haven't eat anything since yesterday noon," replied Harry, as he took a handful of doughnuts she handed him. "Sit down on this rock, and do eat all you want. I never knew what it was to be very hungry." Harry seated himself, and proceeded to devour the food the sympathizing little maiden had given him, while she looked on with astonishment and delight as he voraciously consumed cake after cake, without seeming to produce any effect upon the "abhorred vacuum." CHAPTER IX IN WHICH HARRY BREAKFASTS ON DOUGHNUTS, AND FINDS THAT ANGELS DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE WINGS Harry was very hungry, and the little girl thought he would never have eaten enough. Since he had told her he had run away, she was deeply interested in him, and had a hundred questions to ask; but she did not wish to bother him while he was eating, he was so deeply absorbed in the occupation. "What a blessed thing doughnuts are!" laughed she, as Harry leveled on the sixth cake. "I never thought much of them before, but I never shall see a doughnut again without thinking of you." Our hero was perfectly willing to believe that doughnuts were a very beneficent institution; but just then he was too busily occupied to be sentimental over them. "What is your name, little girl?" asked Harry as he crammed half of the cake into his mouth. "I have a great mind not to tell you, because you wouldn't tell me what yours is," replied she, roguishly. "You see how it is with me. I have run away from--well, from somewhere." "And you are afraid I will tell? I won't though. But, as you killed the snake, I shall tell you. My name is Julia Bryant." "Mine is Harry West," replied he, unable to resist the little lady's argument. "You must not tell any one about me for three days, for then I shall be out of the way." "Where are you going, Harry?" "To Boston." "Are you? They say that none but bad boys run away. I hope you are not a bad boy." And Julia glanced earnestly at the fugitive. "I don't think I am." "I don't think you are, either."