he trudged along, were far from cheerful. Although he
had strong, boyish desires to fare forth into the world alone, he much
disliked to leave this cheery home. Had he been a clean, honorable boy
with a good record he might have stayed there and learned to be a man.

His gloomy thoughts were diverted by the sight of a man who seemed to be
having troubles of his own. He was down at the side of an automobile,
perspiring freely and vexed with the whole world as he unsuccessfully
labored at changing a tire. The automobile was no ordinary car. It had a
driver's seat in front and a closed car behind like the closed delivery
wagons Glen had seen in town. Bright colored letters announced to the
world that J. Jervice supplied the public with a full line of novelties,
including rugs, curtains, rare laces and Jervice's Live Stock Condition
Powders.

"Can I help you," volunteered Glen. It is worthy of note that the
service was freely offered before the man spoke so much as a word. It
had not been Glen's habit to volunteer help. He was feeling the
influence of the home he had just left.

The offer was not kindly received. The man's reply was so churlish as to
leave open the suspicion that he was not naturally a man of pleasant
ways.

"Garn away f'm here," he snarled. "I don't need no boys spyin' around my
car."

"Who's spyin'?" asked Glen defiantly. "You seem to need somebody pretty
bad. You ain't man enough to strip that tire off."

"Nor nobody else wouldn't be," declared the man. "Leastways nobody with
jest one pair of hands. While I pry it off one end it slips back on the
other. Are you strong?" he asked, stopping to look at Glen.

"I'm pretty stout for my age," admitted Glen, modestly, "but I don't
want to help nor spy, if you don't want me."

"I could use another pair of hands," the peddler admitted. "I can't pay
you nothing for it, though, unless it be a ride to town."

"That is just what I want," agreed Glen. "It's a bargain."

The perspiration of Mr. J. Jervice had not been without occasion. The
tire he was trying to change had done good service--it was, in fact, the
very first tire that wheel had ever carried. Perhaps it cherished fond
hopes of remaining in service as long as the wheel to which it clung--at
least it resisted most strenuously all efforts to detach it. Both Glen
and the man were moist with their efforts before it came away, and they
accumulated still more dirt and moisture in applying its successor