think--I know," replied Larry, grinning. "I suppose, though, that
radio must be pretty easy, or you fellows wouldn't know so much about
it."

"That remark has all the appearance of a dirty dig," said Bob. "But I
suppose we can't land on him until he gets entirely well, can we, Joe?"

"No, let him live a little while longer," replied his friend. "We'll get
even for that knock, though, Larry, my boy."

"I won't lie awake at night worrying about it, anyway," replied Larry.
"But I'm not going to interfere with your work any more. Just go ahead as
though I weren't here, and I'll try to learn something by watching what
you do."

Bob and Joe worked steadily then until Mrs. Layton called to them to come
up to lunch.

"Toot! toot!" went Larry, imitating faithfully a factory whistle blowing
for twelve o'clock. "Time to knock off, you laborers. If you work any
longer I won't let you belong to the union any more."

"No danger of that," said Bob. "I've been feeling hungry ever since ten
o'clock, so I'm not going to lose any time now. Come on up and we'll see
what mother's got for us."

They found a lunch waiting for them that would have made a dyspeptic
hungry, and they attacked it in a workmanlike manner that drew an
approving comment from Mrs. Layton.

"I declare it's some satisfaction to get a meal for you boys," she
declared. "You certainly eat as though you enjoyed it."

"There's no camouflage about that, Mother; we _do_ enjoy it," answered
Bob.

"We wouldn't be human if we didn't enjoy it, that's fairly certain," said
Larry. "The meals at the hotel are pretty good, but they're not in the
same class with this lunch at all."

"I know they have a reputation for setting a good table there," said Mrs.
Layton. "I hope you fare as well in the city. You'll board there, I
suppose, won't you?"

"Yes, I expect to," said Larry. "Mr. Allard, the manager, recommended me
to a good place near the station, and I guess they won't let me starve to
death there."

"Let us hope not," smiled Mrs. Layton. "Any time you are in Clintonia,
we'd be very glad to have you visit us, you know. I suppose Bob has told
you that, though."

"I certainly did!" exclaimed her son. "I have a hunch that after eating a
while in boarding houses a good home-cooked meal must be a welcome
change."

"I'll say it is," assented Larry. "But there are one or two good
restaurants fairly near the station, anyway, so in case I get tired of the
food at the boa