ft a
hen with one chicken.

CHAPTER XVIII

THE CASTAWAYS

It really began to look as if Jerry were seriously offended. For several
days there had been no fresh fish at Dolittle Cottage. Peggy reproached
herself for having gone too fast. "I ought to have told him about
Audubon and David and let it soak in awhile. But when he started to talk
about going to school, there didn't seem any way out of saying what I
thought."

Jerry's prolonged absence was very annoying to Peggy. Five minutes face
to face, she felt sure, would straighten out the tangle. Peggy had a not
unreasonable confidence in the efficacy of kindly frankness. If Jerry
once understood the friendliness of her criticism, it was impossible
that he should cherish a grudge against her.

As a matter of fact, the mood which accounted for Jerry's aloofness was
no more puzzling to Peggy than to Jerry himself. His first resentment of
her criticism had burned itself out for lack of fuel, and had been
succeeded by a restlessness unappeased by hours of tramping and
climbing. For the first time since he could remember, Jerry found
himself looking ahead, questioning the future. In spite of his real
ability and his freedom from the more outbreaking faults, Jerry had been
progressing steadily toward utter worthlessness, by the simple but
effective method of always obeying the whim of the moment. The old
grandmother with whom he lived had long before given up all attempt to
control the boy, who was generally good-natured when allowed to do
exactly as he pleased. Jerry enjoyed himself, kept busy in his own way
and returned the disapproval of the community with interest.

Under the influence of the girls at Dolittle Cottage, and of Peggy in
particular, Jerry's attitude toward the world had been gradually
changing. He found to his surprise that he liked to be liked. The
courteous attitude of these strangers had raised him in his own
estimation. The frequent appearance of the hand-painted necktie and the
pointed shoes--both of which had belonged to Jerry's father--was
indicative of a change that went deep.

The part he had taken in Lucy Haines' benefit had also had its share in
his development. Strange to say, the extent of Jerry's musical
attainments had proved a surprise, even to the people who had known him
from babyhood, and he had received more compliments since that occasion
than had fallen to his lot in his previous sixteen years of existence.
Whereupon Je