"Shall we have to stay here all day?" inquired the young lady, alarmed.

"Oh, no; there is another train at half-past six, but it is a slower train than this."

"When will it reach Boston?"

"At nine o'clock. I asked the steward just now. It won't make very much difference. We'll get to the city pretty early."

"Father will be down to the depot, and when he doesn't see me he'll think I am not coming. Then how am I to get home?"

"I'll be with you," said Sam, valiantly. "I'll see that you get home all right."

"Will you?" said Julia, brightly. "Then I don't mind so much. How stupid I was not to wake up!"

"I didn't wake up either. One of the men woke me up. I ran up as quick as I could, but it was too late."

"I got very tired yesterday," said Julia, apologetically. "That was what made me sleep so sound. When did you say the next train went?"

"At six-thirty."

"What shall we do till then?"

"You can lie down if you want to, and I will call you in time."

"I don't dare to," said Julia. "Besides, I don't feel sleepy now."

They decided to sit down and while away the time, and were not at a loss for topics of conversation. At half-past six they had taken their places in the cars, in the full anticipation of a pleasant journey.

CHAPTER XXI.

ARRIVED IN BOSTON.

At nine o'clock the train entered the Old Colony depot. As they entered, Julia began to show signs of uneasiness.

"I am afraid there will be no one here to meet me," she said.

"Then I'll see you safe home," said Sam, rather hoping that it would be necessary for him to do so.

They got out of the cars and walked slowly along, Julia scanning every face anxiously, in the hope of seeing her father or brother. But she could see no familiar face.

"They must have been at the first train, and gone home," she said, in disappointment.

"Have a carriage, sir?" asked the hackman.

"I guess you'd better take one," said Sam.

"Will you ride, too? I should be afraid to go alone."

"Yes, I will go, too," answered Sam.

"Any baggage?" asked the hackman.

"I've got a trunk," said Julia; "I got it checked."

"Give me the check, and I'll see to it."

"Shall I?" asked Julia, appealing to Sam.

"Yes, it'll be all right. How much will you charge?"

"Where do you want to be carried?"

"No.---, Mount Vernon Street," answered Julia.

"I guess that's about right," said Sam, agreeably surprised with the smallness of the charge in comparison with the extortionate demands of New York hackmen. He considered it only gallant to offer to pay the hack fare, and was glad it would not be too heavy a tax on his scanty resources.

The trunk was soon secured, and Sam and Julia entered the hack.

"It seems so good to be in dear old Boston again," said Julia, with a young girl's warmth of feeling.

"I suppose it does," said Sam, "but I never was here. I don't think the streets are as wide as they are in New York."

"Oh, we've got some wide streets," said. Julia, jealous of the fair fame of her native city. "This isn't the best part of Boston, by any means. Wait till you see the common."

"Shall we pass it?"

"I don't know," said Julia; "I guess we shall."

They did, in fact, go through a side street to Tremont, and drove alongside of the common.

"What do you think of that?" asked Julia, triumphantly.

"Is that the common?"

"Yes; isn't it pretty?"

"It's small," answered Sam. "Is it the biggest park you have got?"

"Isn't it big enough?" retorted Julia.

"It's nothing to Central Park."

"Perhaps it isn't quite as large," admitted Julia, reluctantly; "but it's got bigger trees, and then there's the frog pond. There isn't any frog pond in Central Park."

"There's a lake there."