xt day Mrs. Lannarck
began moving the furniture in one of the bedrooms. She emptied dresser
drawers, cleared out the closet and brought in other things. Then she
invited me up there; told me that she had arranged every thing and
this was to be my room, where I could put my things.

"Things? Why, I had come into that home with a busted head and not a
penny in my pocket. The very clothes that I wore belonged to the
county. Except for the little drawing tools I had, you could have put
all of my things in a thimble. Yet I was the richest man in
Springfield.

"I lived in that room four happy blessed years. They were years of few
incidents and no friction. Mrs. Lannarck bought me a complete outfit
of clothing, and she was as particular about the details as if it were
a bride's trousseau. She even provided me with a weekly allowance,
small, to be sure, but there was nothing I needed. I kept right on at
school and helped around the house wherever I could. I kept Mr.
Lannarck's books, made out his estimates, and drafted his plans. I
checked up his payrolls, met his workmen, and his banker. I even met
the judge of the court when they adopted me and changed my name.

"I went to church with Mrs. Lannarck, went to Sunday School, and took
part in the entertainments. They insisted I was a drawing card and
they featured the appearance of a midget on the program. It was all
right by me if it met the approval of the Lannarcks.

"During the war, the committee featured me in the Bond Drives. There
was a big fellow I teamed up with, named George Ruark. He was nearly a
seven-footer and weighed three hundred. I could stand in his two hands
as he held them in front of him and urged everybody to back up the war
as strongly as I was backed. It made a hit; it got results.

"And then inevitable but unwanted death stalked in, to ruin
everything. Mister Lannarck died. He was older than I had thought. He
was always careful and honest. He was putting a new roof on the
Auditorium when he fell. Maybe it was a stroke. They took him to the
hospital. He died on the third day after the fall.

"This was the beginning of the end. A link was broken in the chain. It
never mended. Mrs. Lannarck bore up bravely, but I could see that she
had lost all earthly joys and simply awaited her summons. Mr.
Lannarck's financial affairs were in good shape. He left quite an
estate. The income was ample for our simple needs, but that was not
enough. Mrs. Lannarck simpl