imp!" said Winnie, who
had suffered many hard experiences in Sunday School. "Possibly his
mother may thank you, but I doubt even that."

"All the same Gwen did her best, and that's a satisfaction," said
Father. "Johnnie's a clever little lad in spite of his naughtiness,
and may turn out better than we expect Some day he may even thank you
for having saved his life. Gwen must keep her eye on him. He owes her
so much it ought to make a bond between them."

"Well, I wish her joy of her protege," said Winnie, with a dubious
shake of her head.

After that Dick spent many Saturday mornings at the Parsonage. His
father would not allow him to invite his own friends as they always
proved rather too much for him, but the boy was lonely, and found the
Gascoynes pleasant companions. Gwen especially, who was nearest his
own age, became his particular chum, and the two carried out many
experiments together in the way of photography, amateur bookbinding,
and one or two other hobbies in which they were mutually interested.
Dick's lessons with Mr. Gascoyne were over by ten o'clock, and he
generally stayed an hour or two longer, adapting himself so well to
the household that he soon seemed to be almost one of the family.
Giles and Basil adored him, and haunted his footsteps as much as they
were allowed, but their mischievous young fingers generally worked
such havoc among slides and specimens that Gwen was often forced to
turn them out and lock the door upon them.

"Monkeys from the zoo are tame and well-behaved compared with Stumps
and Bazzie," she declared. "If one wants one's things ruined commend
me to two small brothers!"

Gwen was delighted to have found so congenial a friend. Beatrice and
Winnie, being both older, were naturally companions for one another
and were inclined to treat her entirely as one of the younger ones,
forgetting how fast she was growing up, and it was difficult to make
childish little Lesbia interested in anything. Here at last was
somebody who appreciated birds' eggs, and butterflies, and collections
of shells, and pressed flowers; someone who did pen-and-ink drawings
a great deal better than herself, and who knew exactly how to make
lantern slides, and could even manage to mend the toy printing press
that Giles had broken.

Dick was clever with his fingers, and as he was not allowed to read
very much he spent long hours at home constructing wonderful boxes for
birds' eggs, or stretchers for butterfl