ally, and have him
here's more'n I can understand. It caps me, that it do."

"Wait a bit, my lad, and you'll see," cried the old gardener. "He's
begun his games just as such a boy would, and afore long this here
garden will be turned into such a wreck as'll make the doctor tear his
hair, and wish as he'd never seen the young rascal. He's a bad un; you
can see it in his eye. He's got bad blood in him, and bad blood allus
comes out sooner or later. Peter Cribb, my lad--"

"Yes."

"We're getting old fellow-servants, though you're only young. Peter, my
lad, I'm beginning to tremble for my fruit."

"Eh?"

"Yes; that I am, my lad," said Dan'l in a whisper. "Just as I
expected--I was watching of him--that rip's took up with bad company,
Poacher Dimsted's boy; and that means evil. They was talking together,
and then young Dimsted see me, and run away."

"Did he?"

"Did he? Yes, he just did; and you mark my words, Peter Cribb, it will
not be long before the gov'ner gets rid of him."

"Oh yes; it's a very beautiful fish," said the doctor testily; "but make
haste in. There, run and get all your wet things off as quickly as you
can."

Dexter was so deeply interested in the silvery scales and graceful shape
of his fish that he hardly heard the doctor's words, which had to be
repeated before the boy started, nodded shortly, and ran off toward the
house, while his patron walked to a garden chair, sat down, and gazed up
at Helen in a perplexed way.

Helen did not speak, but gazed back at her father with a suppressed
laugh twinkling about the corners of her lips.

"You're laughing at me, my dear," said the doctor at last; "but you mark
my words--what I say is true. All this is merely the froth of the boy's
nature, of which he is getting rid. But tut, tut, tut! All this must
be stopped. First a new cap destroyed by being turned into a bucket,
and now a suit of clothes gone."

"They will do for a garden suit, papa," said Helen, speaking as if she
had had charge of boys for years.

"Well, yes: I suppose so," said the doctor. "But there: I am not going
to worry myself about trifles. The cost of a few suits of clothes are
as nothing compared to the success of my scheme. Now let's go in and
see if the young dog has gone to work to change his things."

The doctor rose and walked up the garden, making comments to his
daughter about the course of instruction he intended to pursue with
Dexter, and on reaching t