dy I know is very much worried over
something, and she has asked me if I can't do something to help her get
rid of that worry."

"Must be some young lady you know pretty well, then, Jack;" and the old
lumberman smiled again.

"I do know her quite well. And I think a great deal of her friendship.
Her folks have some trouble on hand--quite a good deal of it in
fact--and it worries the girl a good deal, and that, of course, worries
me. You see, there has been a terrible mistake made, and neither the
girl nor her folks know how to get at it to remedy it."

"I see--I see!" The old lumberman nodded his head several times. "That's
the way it is often. Things get into a snarl, and a fellow can't see his
way clear to straighten 'em out. I've been there myself, and I know."

"This young lady I'm speaking about has an old relative--a sort of
uncle--that she thinks a great deal of. Her folks think a great deal of
this gentleman, too. Now, years ago, her folks and the old gentleman had
a quarrel, and now the old gentleman won't let her come anywhere near
him, even though she would love dearly to talk to him and try to
explain matters, so that he would understand that it was not her folks'
fault that the quarrel had taken place."

"See here! what are you talking about?" exclaimed Uncle Barney, eyeing
Jack suspiciously. "Come now, no beating about the bush!"

"Well, if you must know, I'm speaking about Ruth Stevenson, who goes to
a young ladies' school not far from Colby Hall. She and I are very good
friends, and she has told me a good deal about this quarrel you had with
her father."

"It was Fred Stevenson's fault--it wasn't my fault!" grumbled the old
lumberman.

"Maybe it was, Uncle Barney. I don't know anything about that. But I do
know that Ruth has told me that her father never wanted nor tried to do
you any injury. He claims that it was all a mistake, and that you should
have given him a chance to explain."

"It wasn't any mistake--I know just exactly what happened!"

"But don't you think you ought to at least listen to what Ruth's father
has to say? All he wants you to do is to hear his story."

"Did he tell you that?"

"Ruth told me. She said both her father and her mother are very much
upset over the way you have treated them. They want to be friends with
you, and her father is willing to do whatever is right regarding what
took place years ago. She said her folks would like nothing better than
to have you gi