ous. I have always believed in human nature and seldom have I
been disappointed. The young man has done nothing to justify rudeness.
And since we are trespassing on his place--"

"Huh!" was all Hutchins said.

The young man sauntered over to the car, with his hands thrust into this
coat pockets. He was nice-looking, especially then, when he was smiling.

"Hutchins!" he said. "Well, that's a clue anyhow. It--it's an uncommon
name. You didn't happen to notice a large 'No-Trespassing!' sign by the
gate, did you?"

Hutchins only looked ahead and ignored him. As Tish said afterward, we
had a good many worms, anyhow; and, as the young man and Hutchins had
clearly taken an awful dislike to each other at first sight, the best
way to avoid trouble was to go home. So she got into the car. The young
man helped her and took off his hat.

"Come out any time you like," he said affably. "I'm not here at all in
the daytime, and the grounds are really rather nice. Come out and get
some roses. We've some pretty good ones--English importations. If you
care to bring some children from the tenements out for a picnic, please
feel free to do it. We're not selfish."

Hutchins rudely started the car before he had finished; but he ignored
her and waved a cordial farewell to the rest of us.

"Bring as many as you like," he called. "Sunday is a good day. Ask
Miss--Miss Hutchins to come out and bring some friends along."

We drove back at the most furious rate. Tish was at last compelled to
remonstrate with Hutchins.

"Not only are we going too fast," she said, "but you were really rude to
that nice young man."

"I wish I had turned the hose on him and drowned him!" said Hutchins
between her teeth.

II

Hutchins brought a newspaper to Tish the next morning at breakfast, and
Tish afterwards said her expression was positively malevolent in such a
young and pretty woman.

The newspaper said that an attempt had been made to rob the Newcomb
place the night before, but that the thieves had apparently secured
nothing but a package of oatmeal and a tin sprinkling-can, which they
had abandoned on the lawn. Some color, however, was lent to the fear
that they had secured an amount of money, from the fact that a silver
half-dollar had been found on the window sill of a tool-house. The
Newcomb family was at its summer home on the Maine coast.

"You see," Hutchins said to Tish, "that man didn't belong there at all.
He was just impertine