our friends here of that adventure."

"I suppose I know what you mean," spoke up Caroline. "And I confess that
_I_ am at fault. Lavinia dear did tell me and the girls of a young man
beguiling her to a public-house in Chicago, and offering her wine; and
Cecie whispered to me that she was sure it must have been Radcliff; but
I couldn't, I wouldn't believe a Betterson could be guilty of--Fan me,
Lavinia dear!"

Vinnie fanned, and Caroline went on,--

"'T was I who cautioned the children against saying anything disparaging
of Radcliff's character in Lavinia dear's presence. I had such faith in
the stock! and now to think how I have been deluded! The hartshorn,
Lavinia dear!"

"Seems to me you make a pile of talk about trifles!" Radcliff said with
a sneer. "I owe an apology to this young lady. But she knows I meant no
harm,--only my foolish fun. As for the horse, the owner has got him
again; and so I don't see but it's all right."

"It's all right enough, as far as I am concerned," said Jack. "I won't
say a word about the trouble and expense you put me to. But, whether
taking my horse as you did was stealing or not, you sold him, you
obtained money under false pretences, you swindled an honest man."

"Well, that can't be helped now," said Radcliff, with a scoffing laugh.
"A feller is obliged sometimes to do things that may not be exactly on
the square."

"I don't know about anybody's being obliged to go off and play the
gentleman (if that's what you call it), and have a good time (if there's
any good in such a time), at somebody else's expense. I call such
conduct simply scoundrelism," said Jack, his strong feeling on the
subject breaking forth in plain speech and ringing tones. "And I
determined, if I ever caught you, to have you punished."

"O, well! go ahead! put it through! indulge!" said Radcliff, folding his
arms, and stretching out his legs with an air of easy and reckless
insolence, but suddenly drawing up one of them, as he noticed the tear
Lion's teeth had made. "Guess I can stand it if the others can. What do
you say, Uncle Lord? Give me up as a bad job, eh?"

"Hem!" Lord coughed, and rubbed his chin with his palm. "If this sort of
conduct is to continue, the crisis may as well come now, I suppose, as
later; and, unless you give a solemn pledge to alter your course, I
shall let it come."

"O, I'll give the solem'est sort of a pledge!" Radcliff replied.

"You will notice--ahem!--a change in our family,