But no Tom.
Could he have repented and made up his mind not to keep faith, or was there some reason?
Never mind, he would go alone and fight the world, and some day people would be sorry for having suspected him as they did now.
He laughed bitterly, and stepped to the open window bundle in hand.

He had but to swing himself out and drop to the ground, and trudge away into that romantic land--the unknown.

Yes, he would go.

"Good-bye, dear mother; father, good-bye!" he whispered softly; and the next moment one foot was over the window-sill, and he was about to drop, when a miserably absurd sound rose on the midnight air, a sound which made him dart back into his room like some guilty creature, as there rang out the strange cry: "He--haw, he--haw!" as dismal a bray as Solomon had ever uttered in his life; and for no reason whatever, as it seemed, Dick Winthorpe went back and sat upon his bed thinking of the wheelwright's words: That if he went away people would declare he fired the shot.
"I can't help it," cried Dick at last, after an hour's bitter struggle there in the darkness of the night; and once more he ran to the window, meaning to drop out, when, as if he saw what was about to take place, Solomon roused the echoes about the old buildings with another dismal bray.
"Who can run away with a donkey crying out at him like that!" said Dick to himself; and in spite of his misery, he once more seated himself upon the bed-side and laughed.
It was more a hysterical than a natural laugh; but it relieved Dick Winthorpe's feelings, and just then the clock struck two.
Dick sat on the bed-side and thought.

He was not afraid to go--far from it.