and said nothing.

Even Keziah finally admitted, in her own mind, that such a change in
Dabney's appearance might have its advantages. But Samantha inwardly
declared war.

The young hero himself was hardly used to that second suit as yet, and
felt anything but easy in it.

"I wonder," he said to himself, "what Jenny Walters would think of me
now? Wonder if she'd know me?"

Not a doubt of it. But, after he had finished his breakfast and gone
out, his mother remarked:

"It's really all right, girls. I almost fear I've been neglecting
Dabney. He isn't a little boy any more."

"He isn't a man yet," exclaimed Samantha, "and he talks slang
dreadfully."

"But then he does grow so!" remarked Keziah.

"Mother," said Pamela, "couldn't you get Dab to give Dick the slang,
along with the old clothes?"

"We'll see about it," replied Mrs. Kinzer.

It was very plain that Dabney's mother had begun to take in a new idea
about her son. It was not the least bit in the world unpleasant to
find out that he was "growing in more ways than one," and it was quite
likely that she had indeed kept him too long in roundabouts.

CHAPTER III.

Dick Lee had been more than half right about the village being a
dangerous place for him with such an unusual amount of clothing over
his ordinary uniform.

The very dogs, every one of whom was an old acquaintance, barked at
him on his way home that night; and, proud as were his ebony father
and mother, they yielded to his earnest entreaties, first, that he
might wear his present all the next day, and, second, that he might
betake himself to the "bay," early in the morning, and so keep out of
sight "till he got used to it."

The fault with Dab Kinzer's old suit, after all, had lain mainly in
its size rather than its materials, for Mrs. Kinzer was too good a
manager to be really stingy.

Dick succeeded in reaching the boat-landing without falling in with
any one who seemed disposed to laugh at him; but there, right on the
wharf, was a white boy of about his own age, and he felt a good deal
like backing out.

"Nebber seen him afore, either," said Dick to himself. "Den I guess I
aint afeard ob him."

The stranger was a somewhat short and thick-set but bright and
active-looking boy, with a pair of very keen, greenish-gray eyes. But,
after all, the first word he spoke to poor Dick was:

"Hullo, clothes! where are you going with all that boy?"

"I knowed it! I knowed it!" groaned Dic