The Boy Artist Part 13

"I'll try," said Ellen shyly; "but why did you want us to leave mother?"

"I don't know," said the old man gravely. "I came to London for the purpose of finding out if there was any good in any of you; and then I could not make up my mind to telling you who I was, until I had watched you and tried you to the utmost; but when I saw Alan, I could wait no longer.--Alan, will you be my son? I'm an old man, and all alone."

The sailor-boy went to his mother's side, and looking into her tearful face fondly, he said, "Mother, what do _you_ say?"

A smile crossed her lips as she looked at him proudly, and answered, "Be as good a son to your grandfather as you are to me, Alan, for that would have pleased your father. Oh, if he could but know this!"

Then Alan shook hands with his grandfather, and said, "Will you teach me to be a farmer, sir? We'll all like to live with you very much."

A few evenings after, the whole party were comfortably established in the old farmhouse at Dilbury, to Betty's great delight and astonishment.

The anxious mother soon had the pleasure of seeing the colour brought back into the cheeks of her little Maurice; and Janet and Ellen made acquaintance with the delights of country life. They often came home from woodland rambles laden with wild-flowers, which they exhibited with pride and delight; but their grandfather always declared that no flowers would ever appear so beautiful to him as his own little Town Daisies!

[Ill.u.s.tration: FINIS]