he lawyer felt wholly uncomfortable. He was thinking, at
that moment, that he would heartily enjoy kicking Darrin if the
latter didn't look so utterly healthy and uncommonly able to take
care of himself.

"Do I hear you discussing money that is due my father?" inquired
a voice behind them. "If so, my father is very ill, as you doubtless
know, and I would take pleasure in receiving the money on his
behalf."

Timothy Hinman, looking wholly the man of fashion, made this offer.
He had come up behind the group, and there was a look in his
eyes which seemed to say that the handling of some of the family
money would not be distasteful to him just then.

"I'll walk along with you to your office, Mr. Stark, and receipt
for the money, if you're headed that way," suggested the younger
Hinman again.

"Unless you hold a regular power of attorney from your father,
you could hardly give me a valid receipt," replied the lawyer
sourly, as he turned away from Mr. Hartshorn and the boys and
started down the street.

"Won't my receipt do until my father is up and about once more?"
pressed Timothy Hinman.

"No, sir; it won't," snapped the lawyer.

"Have you heard, this morning, how your father is?" Dick inquired.

"Just heard, at the post-office," Hinman answered. "My father
had a very bad day yesterday. Er---in fact, the chances, I am
sorry to say, appear to be very much against his recovery."

"He must feel the strain of his father's illness," observed Dave
sarcastically.

"He does!" retorted Mr. Hartshorn, with emphasis. "If old Reuben
dies young Timothy must go to work for a living. The disgrace
of toil will almost kill him. His two sisters are as bad as he
is. They've never done a stroke of work, either. All three have
lived on the poor old peddler's earnings all their lives, though
not one of the three would be willing to keep the old man's house
for him. There are a lot of sons and daughters like them to-day.
Perhaps there always have been."

Mr. Hartshorn waited until Dick and Dave had finished with the
purchases and had loaded them on the wagon.

Then the farmer shook hands with each member of Dick & Co.

"I'm coming up to Gridley to see the football game this Thanksgiving,"
he promised. "I hope I'll see as good a game as I did last year.
Anyway, I'll see the work of a mighty fine lot of young fellows."

Prescott expressed again the heartiest thanks of himself and friends
for the timely aid given them