er he bellered
so, unless he licked Fatty? Gee! What a wallop! That Charlie kid is
going to lick whey out of Fatty."

"So Still is boss?" mused the stranger. "Could he stop that fight, now?"

"Sure," answered the child, "but he wouldn't."

"We'll see," said the stranger. He crossed over to the ring of boys and
touched Jim on the shoulder. "I want to speak to you, Manning."

Jim looked at the stranger in astonishment, then answered awkwardly,
"Can you wait? I've got to referee this fight."

"You will have to come now," said the man. "Your mother said to come
back at once, with me."

Jim walked into the ring, between the two combatants. "Drop it, fellows.
I've got to go home. We'll finish this fight tomorrow. Fatty can tackle
me then, too."

There were several protests but Fatty had had enough. He was glad of the
opportunity to dive into the pond. One after the other the boys ran up
the springboard until only Jim and the stranger were left. The man
walked back into the grove and in a moment Jim, in his knickerbockers
and blouse, joined him.

"I'm glad to see you can obey, as well as boss, me boy," said the man.
"Your mother says you don't know that a few days ago she advertised in
the N. Y. _Sun_ for a position as housekeeper. I liked the ad and came
up to see her. I'm a lawyer in New York, a widower. I like your mother.
She's a lady to the center of her. But when she told me she had a boy
your age, I felt dubious. She wanted to send for you but I insisted on
coming meself. I wanted to see you among boys. Me name is Michael
Dennis."

Jim flushed painfully. "I don't want my mother to work like that. I can
support her."

"I'm glad that you feel that way, me boy. But on the other hand, you're
not old enough to support her the way she can support herself and you,
too."

"I'll never let my mother support me!" cried Jim.

"What can you do to prevent it?" asked Mr. Dennis. "Wouldn't you like to
live in New York?"

Jim hesitated. Dennis put his hand on Jim's shoulder. "I like you, me
boy. I never thought to want another child about me house. Come, we'll
talk it over with your mother."

Jim followed into the cottage sitting room, where his mother eyed the
two anxiously.

"I thought something must have happened," she said. "Did you have
trouble finding the pond?"

Mr. Dennis smiled genially. "Not a bit! I was just getting acquainted
with your boy. He's quite a lad, Mrs. Manning, and I'm going to tell you
I'll