in from work.

He was back at Deerhurst, living with old Hans and Griselda, the
caretakers, and feeling more at home in his little room above the
lodge doorway than anywhere else. He had come to do any sort of labor
by which he might earn his keep, and to go on with his studies
whenever he had leisure. Mr. Seth Winters, the "Learned Blacksmith,"
and his faithful friend, would give him such help as was needed; and
the lad had settled down in the prospect of a fine winter at his
beloved books. After his long summer on the Colorado mountains he felt
rested and keener for knowledge than ever.

Now as he held the telegram in his hand his face clouded, so that
Griselda, watching, anxiously inquired:

"Is something wrong? Is our good lady sick?"

"It doesn't say so. It's from Dorothy. She wants me to come to
Baltimore and help her fool away lots more time on a house-boat! I
wish she'd mind her business!"

The friendly German woman stared. She had grown to look upon her
lodger, Jim, very much as if he were her own son. He wasn't often so
cross as this and never had been so against Dorothy.

"Well, well! Ah so! Well!"

With this brief comment she made haste to set the dinner on the table
and to call Hans from his own task of hoeing the driveway. Presently
he had washed his face and hands at the little sink in the kitchen,
rubbed them into a fine glow with the spotless roller-towel, and was
ready for the great meal of the day--his generous "Dutch dinner."

Usually Jim was as ready as Hans to enjoy it; but, to-day, he left his
food untasted on his plate while he stared gloomily out of the window,
and for so long that Griselda grew curious and went to see what might
be happening without.

"What seest thou, lad? Is aught wrong beyond already?"

"No. Oh! come back to table, Mrs. Roemer. I'll tell you. I'd just got
fixed, you know, to do a lot of hard work--both kinds. Now comes this
silly thing! I suppose Mrs. Calvert must have let Dolly ask me else
she wouldn't have done it. It seems some simpleton or other, likely
as not that Mr. Ford----"

"Call no names, son!" warned Hans, disposing of a great mouthful, to
promptly reprimand the angry youth. Hans was a man of peace. He hated
nothing so much as ill temper.

Jim said no more, but his wrath cooling began to eat his dinner with a
zeal that made up for lost time. Having finished he went out saying:

"I'll finish my job when I come back. I'm off now for the Shop."

H