hat stuck-up Philip, with his high-and-mighty airs,
doesn't seem at all kin to me."

Harry went home in excellent spirits. It would be of advantage to them
to have a boarder, as it would give them a steady, even if small,
income.

"I wonder what he'll be able to pay?" he said to himself. "If he pays as
much as I used to get--four dollars a week--it'll make us all right, for
I'm sure of earning as much as two dollars a week, even if I don't get a
place."

His mother brightened up, too, when Harry told her of the prospect that
opened up of making up for his lost wages. It was a timely help, and
both mother and son regarded it as such.

CHAPTER IX

NOTICE TO QUIT

"Strike while the iron's hot!" This was the motto of Mrs. Ross,
especially in a matter of this kind. She was firmly resolved to get rid
of Uncle Obed as soon as she could.

She had always claimed to be of high family, and to have been brought up
in the same style in which she was now living, and here was a witness
who could disprove all she had said.

No one knew better than Uncle Obed that she had been very poor in her
early days, for it was he who, out of his small means, had contributed
to support her mother and herself. Any day he might refer to those years
of poverty; and Mrs. Ross felt that she should expire of mortification
if her servants should hear of them. Farewell, then, to her aristocratic
claims, for she knew well enough that they would be ready enough to
spread the report, which would soon reach the ears of all her
acquaintances. By way of precaution she took an opportunity of
presenting her version of the story to Nancy, who waited on the table.

"Mr. Wilkins is rather a strange old man, Nancy," she said, affably, as
Nancy was clearing off the breakfast table the next morning.

"Is he really your uncle, mum?" asked Nancy.

Mrs. Ross wished she could deny it, but felt that she would be found out
in falsehood.

"Yes, Nancy, I confess that he is. There is a black sheep in every
family, and poor Uncle Obed was the black sheep in ours."

"You don't say so, mum! He seems harmless enough."

"Oh, yes. There's no harm in him; but he's so rustic. Poor grandpa tried
to polish him by sending him to expensive schools, but it was no use. He
took no interest in books, and wouldn't go to college"--Uncle Obed would
have opened his eyes if he had heard this--"and so grandpa bought him a
farm, and set