"

Tish was on her feet by that time, but she could not think of anything
to say.

"I'm sorry if I startled you," said the young man. "I--I'm a bit
startled myself."

"There is nothing to make a fuss about!" said Hutchins crisply. "We are
getting worms to go fishing."

"I see," said the young man. "Quite natural, I'm sure. And where are you
going fishing?"

Hutchins surprised us all by rudely turning her back on him. Considering
we were on his property and had turned his own hose on him, a little
tact would have been better.

Tish had found her voice by that time. "We broke a window in the
tool-house," she said; "but I put fifty cents on the sill."

"Thank you," said the young man.

Hutchins wheeled at that and stared at him in the most disagreeable
fashion; but he ignored her.

"We are trespassing," said Tish; "but I hope you understand. We thought
the family was away."

"I just happened to be passing through," he explained. "I'm awfully
attached to the place--for various reasons. Whenever I'm in town I spend
my evenings wandering through the shrubbery and remembering--er--happier
days."

"I think the lamps are going out," said Hutchins sharply. "If we're to
get back to town--"

"Ah!" he broke in. "So you have come out from the city?"

"Surely," said Hutchins to Tish, "it is unnecessary to give this
gentleman any information about ourselves! We have done no damage--"

"Except the window," he said.

"We've paid for that," she said in a nasty tone; and to Tish: "How do we
know this place is his? He's probably some newspaper man, and if you
tell him who you are this whole thing will be in the morning paper, like
the eggs."

"I give you my word of honor," he said, "that I am nothing of the sort;
in fact, if you will give me a little time I'd--I'd like to tell all
about myself. I've got a lot to say that's highly interesting, if you'll
only listen."

Hutchins, however, only gave him a cold glance of suspicion and put the
pails in the car. Then she got in and sat down.

"I take it," he said to her, "that you decline either to give or to
receive any information."

"Absolutely!"

He sighed then, Aggie declares.

"Of course," he said, "though I haven't really the slightest curiosity,
I could easily find out, you know. Your license plates--"

"Are under the cushion I'm sitting on," said Hutchins, and started the
engine.

"Really, Hutchins," said Tish, "I don't see any reason for being so
suspici