this in all honesty, Jack Welles; Mrs. Hildreth puts
too much salt in her oatmeal, to my way of thinking, and she skimps on
the shortening in her pie crust."

Jack glanced across the porch at Doctor Hugh, who was seated in the
swing with Rosemary.

"This isn't a vacation, you know," said Jack mildly. "I've hired out,
at wages, and I'm to go to work to-morrow morning. And it is in the
agreement that Mr. Hildreth is to 'board and lodge' me."

"Well, you can work for him and live here with us, too," suggested
Rosemary comfortably. "Can't he, Mother?"

"It's ever so nice of you to want me," said Jack, "but you see, I've
figured out that I want the complete experience; I want to get up when
the other hired men do and eat breakfast when they do--Winnie wouldn't
like to get me a six o'clock breakfast for the next two weeks--and I
wouldn't let her, if she did."

"Richard doesn't think you'll stick it out for the whole two weeks,"
offered the placid Sarah, looking up from the book she was sharing with
Shirley on the grass rug. "He said so."

Jack flushed, Doctor Hugh looked annoyed and Mrs. Willis sighed.
Sarah's remarks usually aroused varied emotions.

"I think Jack is quite right," said the doctor firmly, before anyone
could speak. "He wants to see this thing through and while he knows
I'd like first rate to have him stay here at the house, I think he'd be
handicapped from the start. There'll be the evenings left him, anyway,
and Sundays--two of them at least."

"You must come to us for Sunday dinner," planned Mrs. Willis instantly.
"I'll ask Richard and Warren, too; Winnie has wanted me to for some
time, but there never seemed to be a mutually convenient time."

So Jack took his suit case over to the bungalow and was introduced to
the little room next to the one shared by Warren and Richard. He had
met Mr. and Mrs. Hildreth on one of his trips to Rainbow Hill with
Doctor Hugh, but he had not seen Warren and Richard till this afternoon.

The three boys shook hands pleasantly. Jack was the youngest by a
couple of years and not so deeply tanned; though, being an active lad
and fond of outdoor sports, he had acquired a coat of brown since the
closing of school. But he felt, looking at the other two, that he
lacked their muscular advantage and a certain hardness that bespoke
sturdy endurance.

"I'm ready to go to work," said Jack, in response to a question from
Mr. Hildreth. "I've brought overalls and I'm s