t
weepy, I'm so glad for Teeny-bits."

Pa Holbrook took the mining engineer's hand in his two old, gnarled ones
and said something that made Teeny-bits very happy:

"Ma and I are old folks and we've kind of worried, you can understand,
about Teeny-bits not having any family when we pass on. He's
_everything_ to us, and of course this coming so sudden sort of works Ma
and me up a mite, but when we're used to it we'll be the happiest people
on the face of the globe to know that our boy has a real dad like you."

"I know what we'll do," said Ma Holbrook suddenly, "Pa and I will sort
of adopt you, too, Mr. Norris. It don't really seem that you're much
more than old enough to be Teeny-bits' brother, anyway."

At that the mining engineer got up and stood over by the window blowing
his nose. When he turned round there was a redness about his eyes, and
his voice was husky:

"It's a wonderful thing to me to know that Teeny-bits has had you two to
look out for him all these years, and it's the best compliment I ever
had for you to say that you'd like to adopt me too. We'll share
Teeny-bits together and I'll be satisfied if I can make him care as much
about me as he cares about you."

Teeny-bits felt that he ought to say something, but for the life of him
he could not speak a word. He looked at these three persons who meant so
much to him, he thought of all the things that had come to him since
that first day when he climbed the hill to Ridgley School. The whole of
it seemed to pass before his eyes like a panorama suddenly displayed.
How much had happened! How many new friends he had made! How much life
held in store for him!

Ma Holbrook broke the trend of Teeny-bits' thoughts.

"Now," she said, smiling through the tears that still gathered in her
eyes, "what are we going to call you?"

Teeny-bits laughed. He could speak now. "Why, Ma," he said, "there's
only one thing to call me; I've been Teeny-bits all my life and I want
to be Teeny-bits still."

THE END

_By_ CLAYTON H. ERNST

BLIND TRAILS

_Illustrated by G. A. Harker_

"Clayton H. Ernst has avowedly written his story, 'Blind Trails,' for
'Boys from 12 to 18,' but the blood of any grown up who fails to find a
thrill in the adventures of young Hal Ayres must be thin indeed. 'Blind
Trails' is a far more interesting and better written story of adventure
than many of those recently offered for full grown readers."--_The New
York Sun._

"A story full