he is. He
was a sea captain, and never came back from his last voyage."

"Did he leave your mother well off?" asked the old man, gazing
attentively at Harry.

Harry thought him rather inquisitive for a stranger, but credited him
with good motives, and answered, readily:

"No, sir; we are quite poor; but I have had a place where I earned four
dollars a week--at the grocery store. Mr. Mead had a nephew come last
week, and now I am out of work."

"That is unlucky for you."

"Yes, sir; but I shall try hard to get something else soon."

"You look like an industrious boy."

"I like to work."

"Where do you live?"

It so happened that Harry's house could be pointed out across the
fields, though at least a quarter of a mile away.

"There it is," he said, pointing it out; "but, perhaps, you cannot see
so far?"

"Oh, yes, I can see it."

By this time they had reached the gate of Colonel Ross, and Harry felt
that he might safely leave the old man.

Out on the lawn was Philip Ross, who, with surprise and displeasure, saw
Harry opening the gate for one whom he mentally designated as an old
tramp.

"What do you want here?" he asked, in a tone far from courteous or
respectful.

"What is your name?" asked the old man, fixing his glance on the
questioner.

"My name is Philip Ross, and I am the son of Colonel Ross," answered
Philip, with an air of consequence.

"Then I am your great-uncle, Philip," said the old man, surveying his
young kinsman with an interest inspired by the feeling of relationship.

"My great-uncle," repeated Philip, in mingled bewilderment and dismay.

"Yes, Philip, I'm your mother's uncle, come all the way from Illinoy to
visit you."

Harry was amused to see upon the face of his young antagonist a look of
stupefaction.

It was a severe blow to Philip, especially in Harry's presence, to be
claimed as a kinsman by a shabby, old tramp. It was upon his tongue to
express a doubt as to the relationship, but he forbore.

"Is your mother at home?" asked the old man.

"You can ring the bell and see," answered Philip, deliberately turning
his back and walking off.

The old man looked after him, with a shrewd glance of intelligence, but
expressed no opinion of him.

"Harry," he said, turning to his young guide, "will you come with me to
the door and ring the bell?"

Harry complied with his request.

The door was opened by a servant, who, on seeing the old man, said,
pertly:

"We've got n