ere
playing there, and bent upon driving them away. But there were no
youngsters on the verandah, and Tommy, with a sudden realisation of the
meaning of that cry, went back to the den, grinning foolishly, and
hungrier than ever for news. When the doctor finally came to him with
a hearty, "Well, Dad, there's a bouncing Tommy junior to look after
now," Tommy asked first, "How is she?"

"Fine," answered the doctor.

"And the kiddo's a boy?"

"Yes," said the doctor, "and he's a dandy; you can see 'em both soon,"
he added, as he left the room.

"Me a father!" said Tommy to himself. "Me! Oh, joy--and a boy!" He
seized the cushions on the lounge and threw them up to the ceiling
joyously. "If I was at the store," he said aloud, and addressing the
cushions, "I'd use you to smash something with."

Then he took a writing pad and began to cover it with figures, and the
more he figured, the less pleased he seemed to be with the results.
Finally, "Ahem," said Tommy, "I've got to work now: this'll never do;
can't let the wife and kiddy want for anything. Wonder what we'll have
to get for him first?" And after more figuring, "Well, it's no good
getting cold feet over the proposition: it's me with me nose to the
grindstone, and I guess I can stand it for some years yet."

There was joy in his store when he arrived there the next morning,
proudly happy. Epstein and Whimple were there, and they greeted him
with dignified pleasure. The Scottish and English assistants, who were
still at loggerheads over the battle of Bannockburn, were no less
sincere in their congratulations. When Jimmy Duggan, M.P.P., called to
add the compliments of the People's Party, Tommy was fairly beaming.
Oh, but it was good to have such friends. But the congratulations that
touched him most of all were those of William and Lucien, who called
together. The youths were embarrassed, they hardly knew what to say,
and what they did say was incoherent. But Tommy knew the kindliness of
the hearts that had prompted the call, and he blew his nose and
shuffled his feet uneasily as the boys, after an awkward silence,
departed.

Lucien and William were fast friends now. The former was still with
Simmons, the architect, who, like Whimple, was beginning to achieve
success, and now occupied a separate office suite. He was growing
fast; was stouter than William, much slower in action and speech, and
was giving promise of developing into a successful busine