faces I had ever seen. He was clean shaven,
and he wore a tall black hat. His long frock coat was made of shiny
black cloth, with a waistcoat to match, and grey trousers. He exposed a
large amount of white shirt-front, and wore a neatly-tied narrow black
bow; indeed, he looked noticeably neat and well-brushed from top to toe.

But, although he was so well dressed that I felt surprised at his
travelling third-class, he had the appearance of a highly respectable,
old-fashioned butler out for a holiday, rather than a gentleman. A pair
of double eye-glasses hung from a broad black ribbon, and he sat with
both hands resting on the knob of his umbrella as he gazed benevolently
into my face.

'I wonder,' he suggested, soon after the train had restarted, 'whether
you would object to changing sides with me?'

'I don't mind at all,' I answered.

'A great pity,' he continued, 'to put up the window on such a lovely
warm day, but I am a great sufferer with a tickling in my throat, and
anything of a draught--thank you, my lad, thank you,' he said, as I took
the seat which he had left.

Resting his umbrella by his side, he took a small packet from his
waistcoat pocket, and helped himself to a lozenge. 'May I offer you
one?' he said, holding out the packet in a somewhat shaky hand. 'You
won't find them at all unpleasant.'

As I noticed the smell of aniseed, I accepted the offer at once. He
seemed to speak as if I were a man rather than a boy of fifteen, and no
doubt I felt flattered. But his voice was scarcely in accordance with
his general appearance, and it was easy to detect a note of
ill-breeding.

(_Continued on page 138._)

[Illustration: "'May I offer you a lozenge?'"]

[Illustration: "He gave me back the half-crown."]

THE BOY TRAMP.

(_Continued from page 135._)

Before we reached the next station, the old gentleman made several
remarks about the condition of the crops, the beauty of the country, and
the unusual quantity of rain that had recently fallen, and when
presently the train stopped again, and the woman at the farther end of
the compartment rose from her seat, he put out a hand to open the door,
though he nodded without raising his hat when she turned to thank him
from the platform.

'Now, I wonder,' he said, when we were on the way again, 'if you are
able to oblige me?'

'How?' I asked.

'I want two shillings and sixpence or sixpenny-worth of coppers for a
half-crown piece.'

'I think I