e me. I support my mother by selling real estate.
Twenty miles or so from here I know of a great fortune. But it is hidden
away, buried, choked up and forgotten. I have tried to get my friends
to hunt this out for me but they do not see things my way. So I need a
strong healthy boy to help me, and together we will find this
treasure."

CHAPTER IV

HOW MOTHER CARES

Running away would be very popular with boys if they could be sure of
finding such good friends as Glen had met. The reverse is more commonly
true. Glen knew well enough that the boy on the road, trusting to chance
for friends, is much more apt to fall a prey to people of the J. Jervice
variety. He remembered the pitiful plight of a boy who had been returned
to the school after falling into the hands of tramps, and he thanked an
unknown Providence that he had tumbled into the kind arms of Jolly Bill.

Mother Spencer was just as kind and cheerful as her son, though she
neither made jokes nor appreciated those offered by Will.

"This is Glen Mason, mother," said Jolly Bill, when she came out to meet
them. "After he had committed assault and battery on my delicate frame,
I prevailed on him to bring home the mangled remains."

"You are hurt, Willie!" she cried in alarm. "Your face is scratched and
there is blood. Is it serious?"

"I shall recover," said Will. "I have been in rather worse accidents.
Take a look at this other dusty, weary specimen. What do you recommend?"

"I beg your pardon," she apologized to Glen. "I was anxious about my
boy. I am every time he goes out. I'll just show you up to the bathroom.
There is plenty of hot water and soap and towels, and I'll bring you a
clean suit that Willie used to wear."

Glen reddened with embarrassment at this goodness.

"Maybe you'd better not," he protested. "You don't know who I am."

"But I know what size you are," she insisted. "This old suit of Willie's
has been lying around for years, but it's perfectly good. Now you take
and put it on."

"Take it along and wear it," urged Jolly Bill. "It's been shut up in the
closet so long it may turn two or three handsprings when it gets out in
the sunshine, but otherwise it will fit you all right. Mother's kept the
moth out of it long enough."

Soaking in a tub of clean water after his hot and dusty day, with a nice
suit of clean clothing ready to put on, Glen felt that he was indeed
fortunate. He actually concluded that he was getting better treat