he shore.

Beautiful Lake Memphremagog, bisected by the international border,
lay before them. On the opposite side a motor launch skirted the
shore looking unreal against the dark, impenetrable wooded
background. In the middle distance a canoe with two figures in it
rose and fell lazily in the gentle swell.

Professor Brierly's deeply sunken, bright blue eyes looked with
paternal affection at the little figure at his side. The lips
under the tip-tilted nose formed, faintly, a pout. It was unusual
for Tommy to sit so long beside "Pop" without asking a thousand
questions. One of the reasons Tommy liked Professor Brierly so
much was that the latter always answered his questions. And the
answers were amplified with tricks that were so fascinating.

The professor's associates would have been amused as was Matthews'
and the boy's mother, at the old man's painful efforts to use
short words easy of comprehension. Professor Brierly never made
the mistake of treating the boy or his questions lightly. He
always gave them serious consideration; he always treated the boy
with the grave courtesy due an equal.

After the silence had lasted a painfully long time, Professor
Brierly asked:

"Anything wrong, Thomas?" The old scientist's concession to the
amenities did not extend to calling the youngster "Tom" or
"Tommy."

The little chap nodded.

"Yes, Pop, something very wrong, very, VERY wrong."

Professor Brierly's features showed appropriately grave concern.
"What is it?"

"Uncle Jack, he--he--won't let me peddle."

"He won't let you what?"

"He won't let me peddle, peddle the boat." He pointed a grubby
finger toward the canoe that was tied to the small wharf.

"Oh, you mean, he won't let you paddle the canoe."

"Yes, Pop, he won't let me peddle."

"_Paddle_ is the word, Thomas; say paddle."

"Peddle."

"No, no, Thomas, _paddle_, PADDLE!"

"Peddle."

Any other person but Thomas would have received an outburst of
wrath from the old scientist Professor Brierly again demonstrated
his deep love for the boy by abandoning the subject of pronunciation
and returned to the major issue.

"You say, Thomas, that he won't let you peddle--er--paddle?"

Thomas glumly shook his head.

"But, Thomas, I cannot understand. I saw him teach you to paddle.
He made you a small paddle himself."

"Well, he won't let me."

"Did John tell you why?"

"He just won't let me. He says I can't peddle all alone by myself
till I c'n