u are a very bright young lady, Ruth Kenway."

"Boy," said Cecile to her brother, "you are getting in deep."

"And glad of it," growled Luke, knowing full well what she meant.

"But what about Neighbor?"

"I am going to see Neighbor," declared the young man, looking very
uncomfortable but decisive. "I'm not going to be a cad."

"You couldn't be that, Luke," she told him.

"Oh, yes, I could. I have been tempted," Luke said.

"Tempted to do what--to say what?"

"To try and make Ruth Kenway like me and let me tell her how very fond I
am of her without a thought for the future, Sis."

"Oh, Luke! You are looking so very far ahead."

"I know it. And with the prospect I have without Neighbor's help, it
would be looking very, very far indeed. I would be wrong to try to tie
up any girl so long. I've fought that all out. I won't do it."

"But what will you do?" asked his sister, grieving for him in both voice
and look.

"See Neighbor the moment we get home. I'll put it to him straight. I'll
be no man's slave and for no amount of money. If he will see it in the
right light I shall stop off here at Milton on my way to college, and
just tell Ruth all about it."

"And if Neighbor will not listen to reason?"

"Then I must not speak to Ruth," the young man said bitterly, and turned
abruptly away from her.

"Yes. But," murmured Cecile, "will that be kind to Ruth? I wonder!"

CHAPTER XIX

SCHOOL BEGINS

Mr. Sorber was a man of his word. Scalawag arrived at the Corner House
before the end of the week.

Dot had told Tess so much about the beauties of the fat little creature
that the older sister could scarcely wait to see the pony.

"I almost wish I'd run away to be a pirate myself with Sammy Pinkney,
just to see that pony do his tricks in the ring," Tess declared, with a
sigh of envy.

"Oh, no, you wouldn't! No, you wouldn't, Tess Kenway!" Dot hastened to
say. "We had just a _nawful_ time. Hiding in that dark hole--"

"Hold, Dot--hold!" reminded Tess.

"Well, it _was_ a hole--so there!" her little sister said. "And there
were rats in it--and maybe worse things. Only they didn't bite us."

With Scalawag, the calico pony, came Louise Quigg and her father. The
_Nancy Hanks_ had been moored near Meadow Street again and the
canalboatman and his little girl had brought the pony ashore and led him
to his new home.

"Oh, you beautiful!" cried Tess, and hugged Scalawag around the neck.

The entire Corner Ho