lass
walking slow behind him. I never was like that. I was sort of an epicure
when it came to knowledge, tasting delicately here and there, and never
greedy. Why, as far back as when I was studying algebra, I nobly refused
to learn the binomial theorem. I just read it through once, hastily, like
taking one sniff at a violet, and then let it alone. The other fellows
fairly gorged themselves with it, but I didn't--I had too much sense."

When Mr. Chester had been there a week, he gave Dorothy two worn and
crumpled two-dollar bills.

"What's this?" she asked, curiously. "Where did you find it?"

"'Find it' is good," laughed Dick. "I earned it, my dear lady, in hard and
uncongenial toil. It's my week's board."

"You're not going to pay any board here. You're a guest."

"Not on your life. You don't suppose I'm going to sponge my keep off
anybody, do you? I paid Uncle Ebeneezer board right straight along and
there's no reason why I shouldn't pay you. You can put that away in your
sock, or wherever it is that women keep money, or else I take the next
train. If you don't want to lose me, you have to accept four plunks every
Monday. I've got lots of four plunks," he added, with a winning smile.

"Very well," said Dorothy, quite certain that she could not spare Dick.
"If it will make you feel any better about staying, I'll take it."

He had quickly made friends with Elaine, and the three made a more
harmonious group than might have been expected under the circumstances.
With returning strength and health, Miss St. Clair began to take more of
an interest in her surroundings. She gathered the white clover blossoms in
which Dorothy tied up her pats of sweet butter, picked berries in the
garden, skimmed the milk, helped churn, and fed the chickens.

Dick took entire charge of the cow, thus relieving Mrs. Smithers of an
uncongenial task and winning her heartfelt gratitude. She repaid him with
unnumbered biscuits of his favourite kind and with many a savoury "snack"
between meals. He also helped Dorothy in many other ways. It was Dick who
collected the eggs every morning and took them to the sanitarium, along
with such other produce as might be ready for the market. He secured
astonishing prices for the things he sold, and set it down to man's
superior business ability when questioned by his hostess. Dorothy never
guessed that most of the money came out of his own pocket, and was charged
up, in the ragged memorandum book which h