spell of fine weather now," remarked
Willie with jaunty artificiality.

The offhand assertion was too casual to be real. Cloud and fog were
not dealt with in this cursory fashion in Wilton. It clinched Jan's
doubts into certainty. Something was being kept from him, something of
which this stranger, who had only been in the town a few hours, was
cognizant. For the first time in fifty years another had usurped his
place as Willie's confidant. It was monstrous! A tremor of jealous
rage thrilled through his frame, and he stiffened visibly.

"I reckon I'll be joggin' along home," said he, moving with dignity
toward the door.

"But you've only just come, Jan," protested Willie.

"I didn't come fur nothin' but to leave this hammer," Jan answered,
placing the implement on the long bench before which his friend was
standing.

"Maybe there was something you wanted to see Mr. Spence about,"
ventured Bob. "If there was I will--"

"No, there warn't," snapped Janoah. "Mister Spence ain't got nothin'
confidential to say to me--whatever he may have to say to other folks,"
and with this parting thrust he shot out of the door.

Bob gave a low whistle.

"What's the matter with the man?" he asked in amazement.

Willie flushed apologetically.

"Nothin'--nothin' in the world!" he answered. "Jan gets like that
sometimes. Don't you remember I told you he was kinder quick. It's
just possible it may have bothered him to see me talkin' to you. Don't
mind him."

"Do you think he suspected anything?"

"Mercy, no! Not he!" responded Willie comfortably. "He's liable to
fly off the handle like that a score of times a day. Don't you worry
'bout him. He'll be back before the mornin's over."

Nevertheless, sanguine as this prediction was, the hours wore on, and
Janoah Eldridge failed to make his appearance. In the meantime Bob and
Willie became so deeply engrossed in their new undertaking that they
were oblivious to his absence. They worked feverishly until noon,
devoured a hurried meal, and returned to the shop again, there to
resume their labors. By supper time they had made quite an encouraging
start on the model they required, their combined efforts having
accomplished in a single day what it would have taken Willie many an
hour to perfect.

The inventor was jubilant.

"Little I dreamed when you came to the front door, Bob, what I was
nettin'!" he exclaimed, clapping his hand vigorously on the young man's
shoul