eve it all now."

"Shut up!" warned Harris.

The next moment the anxious professor was at him again.

"I want that desk, Colesworth. I'll give you ten dollars for it--fifteen!"

"Say," said Harris, in apparent disgust, "I'll tell you the truth; I
bought that desk--and these other things--to give back to old Mrs.
Harrison. She seemed to set store by them."

"Ha!"

"Now, the desk is hers. If she wants to sell it for twenty-five
dollars----"

"You hush up! I'll make my own bargain with her," growled the professor.

"No you won't, by jove!" exclaimed the city youth. "If you want the desk
you'll pay all its worth. Hey! Mrs. Harrison!"

The widow approached, wonderingly.

"I made up my mind," said Harris, hurriedly, "that I'd give you these
things here. You might like to have them in your room at Hillcrest."

"Thank you, young man!" returned the widow, flushing. "I don't know what
makes you young folks so kind to me----"

"Hold on! there's something else," interrupted Harris. "Now, Professor
Spink here wants to buy that desk."

"And I'll give ye a good price for it, Widder," said Spink. "I want it to
remember Bob by. I'll give you----"

"He's already offered me twenty-five dollars for it----"

"No, I ain't!" exclaimed Spink.

"Oh, then, you don't want it, after all," returned Harris, coolly. "I
thought you did."

"Well! suppose I do offer you twenty-five for it, Mis' Harrison?"
exclaimed Spink, evidently greatly spurred by desire, yet curbed by his
own natural penuriousness.

"Take my advice and bid him up, Mrs. Harrison," said Harris, with a wink.
"He knows more about this old desk than he ought to, it seems to me."

"For the land's sake----" began the widow; but Spink burst forth in a rage:

"I'll make ye a last offer for it--you can take it or leave it." He drew
forth a wad of bills and peeled off several into the widow's hand.

"There's fifty dollars. Is the desk mine?" he fairly yelled.

The vociferous speech of the professor drew people from the auction. They
gathered around. Harris nodded to the old lady, and her hand clamped upon
the bills.

"Remember, this is Mrs. Harrison's own money," said young Colesworth,
evenly. "The desk was bought at auction for two dollars."

"Well, is it mine?" demanded Spink.

"It is yours, Jud Spink," replied the old lady, stuffing the money into
her handbag.

"Gimme that hatchet!" cried the professor, seizing the implement from a
man who stood by. He attac