ou about it--"

"You can't talk to me about any girl!"

"But I must," insisted Luke. "You see, I--I love her. And if I can
possibly do it, I am going to win her for a wife--some day."

The old gentleman arose in anger.

"Do you mean to stand there and deliberately defy me?"

"I am not defying you, Neighbor; I'm only telling you," Luke said,
rather doggedly, it must be confessed. But his own eyes were glowing.

"After my declaration to you that I will have nothing more to do with
you if you fool with any girls--"

"I'm not!" snapped Luke. "It is only one girl. The best girl in the
world. I wish you'd go to Milton to see her."

"Go to Milton? Indeed! I wouldn't go there--"

He stopped and glowered at Luke for a moment without speaking. Then he
asked harshly:

"So this girl lives in Milton?"

"Yes, sir. At the old Corner House. And she is lovely--"

"Be still!" commanded the old man. "Young calf! Do you suppose _I_ am
interested in your protestations of silliness about a girl! I want to
hear nothing more about it. You understand my wishes well enough. I will
never do a thing for you after you graduate-- I will strike you out of
my will-- I'll close my door against you, if you entangle yourself in
any way with this girl."

"Oh, Neighbor!" murmured Luke sadly, stepping back from the old man's
wildly gesturing arm.

"I mean it. I always mean what I say," declared Mr. Northrup. "You
should know me well enough by this time. A girl--faugh! You trouble me
any more about this girl--or any other--and I'll have nothing more to do
with you."

"Very well, Mr. Northrup. Good-bye," said Luke, and turned toward the
door.

"Where are you going, you young whippersnapper!" roared the old man.

"I have made up my mind. I will win Ruth if I can--though with my poor
prospects I have no right to speak to her now. But it would not be
right, when you feel as you do, for me to accept any further favors from
you when I am determined in my heart to get Ruth in spite of you."

The door closed quietly behind him before the old man could utter
another word. He stared at the door, then sat down slowly and his face
lost its angry color.

Mr. Henry Northrup was apparently both pained and amazed. Perhaps he was
mostly confused because Luke Shepard had taken him quite at his word.

CHAPTER XXI

ADVENTURES WITH SCALAWAG

Dot came home to the old Corner House the first day of the school term
with what Neale O'Neil would ha