said he had
heard about you and wanted to see you some time."

This time Ted was less thrilled by the remark than he would have been a
few days before. A faint degree of his father's scepticism had crept
into him and the only reply he vouchsafed was a polite smile. It was
absurd to fancy for an instant that the senior member of the Fernald
company, the head of the firm, the owner of Aldercliffe, the great and
rich Mr. Lawrence Fernald, would ever trouble himself to hunt up a boy
who worked on the place. Ridiculous!

Yet it was on the very day that he made these positive and scornful
assertions to himself that he found this same mighty Mr. Lawrence
Fernald on his doorstep.

It was early Saturday afternoon, a time Ted always had for a holiday.
He had not been to see his family for some time and he had made up his
mind to start out directly after luncheon and go to Freeman's Falls,
where he would, perhaps, remain overnight. Therefore he came swinging
through the trees, latchkey in hand, and hurriedly rounding the corner
of the shack, he almost jostled into the river Mr. Lawrence Fernald who
was loitering on the platform before the door.

"I beg your pardon, sir!" he gasped. "I did not know any one was here."

"Nor did I, young man," replied the ruffled millionaire. "You came like
a thief in the night."

"It is the pine needles, sir," explained the boy simply. "Unless you
happen to step on a twig that cracks you don't hear a sound."

The directness of the lad evidently pleased the elder man for he
answered more kindly:

"It is quiet here, isn't it? I did not know there was a spot within a
radius of five miles that was so still. I was almost imagining myself
in the heart of the Maine woods before you came."

"I never was in the Maine woods," ventured Ted timidly, "but if it is
finer than this I'd like to see it."

"You like your quarters then?"

"Indeed I do, sir."

"And you're not afraid to stay way off here by yourself?"

"Oh, no!"

Mr. Fernald peered over the top of his glasses at the boy before him.

"Would you--would you care to come inside the shack?" Ted inquired
after an interval of silence, during which Mr. Fernald had not taken
his eyes from his face. "It is very cosy indoors--at least I think so."

"Since I am here I suppose I might just glance into the house," was the
capitalist's rather magnificent retort. "I don't often get around to
this part of the estate. To-day I followed the river and c