But if Uriah Dicks and the postmaster and the squire are against you, they
can put you out. There are only five in the committee, and three are a
majority."

Ralph was about to reply, but several passengers had to be waited on, and
he went on to collect the tolls. Then a whistle sounded from up Big Silver
Lake, notifying him that a steamboat wished to pass through the draw, and
the opening and closing of the bridge took ten minutes or more.

"If I were only bookkeeper enough to strike a job in one of the factories,
I wouldn't care whether I lost the place here or not," said Ralph, when he
was again at leisure. "This is a lazy sort of a job, and I would much
prefer office work."

"That is true, my son, but one must be thankful to get work of any kind
now," returned Mrs. Nelson.

"Oh, I know that, and I am not grumbling, mother, but the--what's that?"

Ralph broke off suddenly. A crash of glass, coming from the neighborhood of
the cottage, sounded in their ears. The first crash was followed by
half-a-dozen others in rapid succession.

"What in the world can that mean?" cried Mrs. Nelson, and, without waiting,
she ran from the bridge.

Ralph looked up and down to see if any one was coming across, and, sighting
none, followed.

On a run it did not take long to reach the little home by the side path.
As they neared it, Ralph pointed excitedly to the sitting-room windows.

"Look, mother," he cried, in deep indignation. "Some vandal has broken
nearly every pane of glass in the house!"

"Perhaps there are thieves around!" returned Mrs. Nelson, quickly.

"No, they wouldn't break glass needlessly. This was done out of pure
meanness."

They hurried around to the door and into the cottage. Alas! a single glance
around was enough. Fully half the panes of glass in the cottage were
smashed, and on the floors of the various rooms lay a dozen stones as big
as a man's hand.

"I know who did this!" ejaculated Ralph, in high anger. "Percy Paget, and
no one else!"

"Would he dare?" faltered Mrs. Nelson.

"Yes; and it is just in line with his sneak-like character. I am going to
see if I can find him."

Ralph dashed out of the cottage as rapidly as he had entered it. He made a
strict search about the grounds, up the road, and in the wood on the other
side. But it was of no avail; the person who had committed the contemptible
act had disappeared.

CHAPTER X.

RALPH IS GIVEN NOTICE.

Had it not been for his duti