had done what she could to aid him.

"I think this is the limit!" said Dave to his uncle. "Don't you think
he ought to be sued?"

"I don't know about suing him, Dave; but I think this ought to be put
in a lawyer's hands."

"He makes money enough to pay this lady," said Phil. "Say, I've a good
mind to give him a piece of my mind!" he added, hotly.

"I'll look into this when I come back this way," said Dunston Porter,
after a little more talk. "Perhaps I can get one of our lawyers to
prod this Haskers a little, and also state the case to Doctor Clay."

"Oh, will you do that, Uncle Dunston?" cried Laura, brightening, for
she, as well as all of the others, felt sorry for Mrs. Breen, who
seemed so poor, old, and lonesome.

"Yes, I'll do it. And now we had better be on our way,--if we want to
reach Oakdale by noon," went on Mr. Porter.

The boys went out, followed by Jessie. Laura lingered, to whisper
something in her uncle's ear. Dunston Porter nodded, and then Laura
joined the others.

"Mrs. Breen, I will be back in a day or two, to see you about this
money affair," said Mr. Porter, when he and the old lady were alone.
"In the meantime, as you were so kind as to take the young ladies in
while we were mending our machine, allow me to make you a little
present," and as he finished he placed a five-dollar bill in her lap.

"Oh!" she cried, taking up the banknote. "Why, it's five dollars! I--I
can't really take all that money!"

"Oh, yes, you can," said Mr. Porter, smiling. "Use it as you see fit,
and remember that I'll be back, and we'll do what we can to get that
money from Mr. Haskers."

"You are very, very kind!" murmured the old lady, and tears stood in
her eyes. The past winter had been a severe one for her, and she had
had a hard struggle to get along.

"Good-by!" shouted the girls and boys to her, and she waved her hand
to them. Then the automobile started off once more, in the direction
of Oakdale.

CHAPTER V

AT OAK HALL ONCE MORE

"Hurrah! here we are at Oakdale at last!"

"Old town looks natural, doesn't it?"

"So it does, Roger. See any of the fellows?"

"Not yet, Dave. But we are sure to meet somebody, even if it is a
school-day," went on the senator's son.

"Uncle Dunston, let me take the auto around to the hotel," said our
hero. "I know the streets better than you do. We have to make several
turns."

"All right, Dave," was the ready answer, and Dunston Porter arose and
allowe