if the stranger
should ask to see it?

There was a heavy fine, he now remembered, for driving a car unless one
were in possession of this precious paper, although what the penalty was
he could not at the instant recall; he had entirely forgotten there were
any such legal details. Fearfully he eyed the mechanic.

The man, however, did not pursue the subject but instead appeared
engrossed in carefully inspecting the automobile inside and out. As he
poked about, now here, now there, Stephen watched him with constantly
increasing nervousness; and after the investigation had proceeded for
some little time and no satisfactory result had been reached, the boy's
heart sank. Something very serious must be the matter if the trouble
were so hard to locate, he reasoned. In imagination he heard his
father's indignant reprimands and saw the Northampton trip shrivel into
nothingness.

The workman in the meantime remained silent, offering no comment to
relieve his anxiety. What he was thinking under the shabby visor cap
pulled so low over his brows it was impossible to fathom. His hand was
now unscrewing the top of the gasoline tank.

"You've got your engine nicely warmed up, youngster," observed he
casually. "Maybe 'twas just as well you did come to a stop. You must
have covered the ground at a pretty good clip."

There certainly was something very disconcerting about the stranger's
conversation and again Stephen looked at him with suspicion.

"Oh, I don't know," he mumbled, trying to assume an off-hand air.
"Perhaps we did come along fairly fast."

"You weren't alone then."

"N--o," was the uncomfortable reply. "The fellows who sent you back from
the village were with me."

For the first time the workman evinced surprise.

"Nobody sent me," he retorted. "I just thought as I was going by that
you looked as if you were up against it, and as I happen to know
something about engines I pulled up to give you a helping hand. The fix
you are in isn't serious, though." He smiled broadly as if something
amused him.

"What is the matter with the car?" demanded the boy desperately, in a
voice that trembled with eagerness and anxiety and defied all efforts to
remain under his control.

"Why, son, nothing is wrong with your car. You've got no gasoline,
that's all."

"Gasoline!" repeated the lad blankly.

"Sure! You couldn't have had much aboard when you started, I guess. It
managed to bring you as far as this, however, and here