Bridget led the way to the shed, and soon exclaimed, in surprise:
"Oh! shure as I draw my breath, here's the door unhasped, a swingin' wide, and the snow bank quite melted away!"
Mr. Stone hurried on.
"Don't step out, Biddy," he said; "'tis true, the snow has's unk away very much, but it is still deep. You will get your feet wet if you go out."
"Somebody has been out here," said Biddy. "I can see the tracks all along close to the house. Really, Mr. Stone, I'm afraid we've had thieves aboot us, when we were asleep."
"I trust, not, Biddy," said the gentleman, stepping out, and carefully following the tracks till he came to the apple-tree, which stood near where the shed joined the house. They were the tracks of a child's heeled boot, and Nattie's, beyond a doubt. At the base of the tree, the snow was trodden considerably, as if the child had made several attempts to mount to the tree
