All the way home his heart felt as heavy as lead, and, when he came in sight of the little tumble-down cottage, his eyes were blurred with tears for a moment.

“Todd, dear,” called his mother, running out to meet him, “guess who has been here.  It was Judge Parker’s wife.  Yes, I know all about your secret now.  She told me the men have finally decided that Luke Wiggins has won the wheel.  But she is so disappointed on your account, and told me so many nice things that people have said about you that I just sat down and cried.  I was so proud and happy.  And, Todd, what do you think she left here for you to take care of?  She’ll pay you well for doing it, and it will be yours to use just as if it were your own,—­a pony!  A beautiful little Shetland pony.  It was her little grandson’s, and they have kept it since he died, because they could not bear to part with anything he had been so fond of.  Now they are going away from Bardstown for a long, long time.  They have been looking around for somebody to take care of it, and they say they would rather trust it to you than any one they know.  You can have it to pet and love and use just as long as you want it.”

“Oh, it’s too good to be true!” cried Todd, giving his mother a hug of frantic joy before he rushed off to the stable.  There she found him a little later with his arms around the pony’s neck, saying over and over:  “Oh, you dear, beautiful old thing!  You’re better than a thousand wheels!”

“It’s all because of your living up to your motto, sonny boy,” she said, as she held out a lump of sugar for the pretty creature to nibble.  “It was your ‘good name’ that brought you into Mrs. Parker’s ‘loving favour.’”

Abbot Morgan’s disappointment was not tempered by any such great happiness as came to little Todd, but it was a proud moment when he showed his uncle his bank-book, and heard his hearty praise.  Judge Parker and the grocer were there also at the time.

“I came to tell you,” said the grocer, “that there is a man in my store who has a first-class wheel that he wants to sell cheap.  You have earned more than enough to pay the price he asks for it, so you see your summer’s work has not been in vain.  And I want to say that any time you want to put that ‘hand of the diligent’ into my business.  I’ll make a place for you.”

There was a gratified smile on Ab’s face as he thanked him.  “I’ll go right down now and buy that wheel,” he exclaimed.

“Well,” said the judge, as he took his departure, “every one of those texts worked out just as true as preaching, and brought its own reward, but I rather think Luke’s is the best one to tie to.”

As he turned the corner, he met Chicky himself, who was coming to find him on the new bicycle that had just been sent to him.

“Oh, Judge Parker!” he cried, jumping off the wheel, cap in hand.  “I was just coming to thank you, but,” he stammered, “I—­I—­don’t know where to begin.  I’m tickled nearly to death.  It’s a beauty, sure!”