."

"No, no! I shall not allow you to do that," protested Mr. Tolman. "You
are on your way to work and I could not think of detaining you. All I
ask is that you take my boy along to the village."

"I'd really be pleased to go, sir," reiterated O'Malley. "I am in no
great rush."

"No, I shan't hear to it, Jake," Mr. Tolman repeated. "Nevertheless I
appreciate your offer. Take the boy along and that is all I'll ask.
Come, Steve, jump aboard! O'Malley, son, is one of our railroad people,
whose services we value highly. He is going to be good enough to let you
ride over to Torrington with him."

Although the introduction compelled Stephen to give the waiting employee
a nod of greeting, he did not meet his eye or evince any sign of
recognition, and he sensed that the light that had flashed into the
man's face at sight of him died out as quickly as it had come. The boy
had an uncomfortable realization as he climbed to the seat of the truck
and took his place beside its driver that O'Malley must be rating him as
a snob. No one but a cad would accept a stranger's kindness and then cut
him dead the next time he encountered him. It was better to endure this
misjudgment, however, than to acknowledge a previous acquaintance with
the mechanic and thereby arouse his father's suspicion and curiosity.
Hence, without further parley, he settled himself and in silence the
truck started off.

For some minutes he waited, expecting that when they were well out of
earshot of the family the man at the wheel would turn and with a laugh
make some reference to the adventure of the past week. It certainly must
have amused him to find the great red car again stalled in the same
spot, and what would be more natural than that he should comment on the
coincidence and perhaps make a joke of the circumstance? But to the
boy's chagrin the teamster did no such thing. Instead he kept his eyes
fixed on the road and gave no evidence that he had ever before seen the
lad at his elbow.

Stephen was aghast. It was not possible the workman had forgotten the
happening. He began to feel very uncomfortable. As the landscape slipped
past and the car sped on, the distance to Torrington lessened. Still
there seemed to be no prospect of the stranger at the wheel breaking his
silence. If it had merely been a silence perhaps Steve would not have
minded so much; but there was an implied rebuke in the stillness that
nettled and stung and left him with a consciousness