a tailor's, a barber's!

But alas! he was well-dressed, well-fed, well-housed; sent to a good
school. He had a pony of his own and a man to groom him; a bicycle; a
watch; every equipment for cricket and football; a dog; pigeons and most
of the possessions dear to the heart of a boy.

He had almost finished his dinner to-day when he put a question to the
Captain sitting there smiling over his letter.

"Grandfather," he asked, "are you rich?"

His grandfather sat straight immediately, which is to speak of his
features as well as his figure.

"Well, what do you think, lad?" he asked.

John shook his head dolefully.

"_I_ think you are," he said, "but _are_ you?"

"That depends on how riches are counted," said the old man cautiously,
"and who does the counting. King Solomon, now, might consider me but an
old pauper."

John went on with his dinner thoughtfully.

"Are you wondering what I am going to do with my money?" asked the old
man, watching him closely.

John looked him straight in the face.

"I expect you're going to leave it to me," he said.

"Ah!" said his grandfather. "And who has been talking to you now? Who
told you that?"

"Oh, Johnson and Roberts and Mrs. Wilkins. Mrs. Wilkins says you'll give
it me in a will," said John carelessly.

"Who the dickens is Mrs. Wilkins?"

John opened his eyes widely. Not to know Mrs. Wilkins was indeed to
argue oneself unknown.

"Why the lady at the store next our school," he said. "She sells
pea-nuts and chewing gum and everything."

"And she says I'll leave all my money to you, eh? Hum. Well, how'd you
like it if I do?"

"I don't want it," said John with blunt force. He went on sturdily with
his blanc-mange, arranging his strawberry jam carefully, that he should
have an excess of that for the last spoonful.

Captain Carew stared surprisedly at him.

"Eh? What's that?" he asked.

"When you were as old as me," said John, lifting his carefully trimmed
spoon to his mouth, "were you as rich as now?"

The question stirred the old man immediately. His eyes brightened, he
put down his letter, pushed his glasses up high on his forehead and
struck the table with one hand.

"I should think not," he said excitedly, "I should rather think not. As
rich as now--God bless my life!"

"I thought you weren't," said John calmly.

"I can't remember my father and mother," said Captain Carew, speaking a
little more quietly as his thoughts began to run backwards. "I li