w at a rather dusty and bedraggled looking hydrangea on the lawn.

"I wonder if it was necessary," the quiet voice continued. "I haven't the
slightest wish to be hard on you. I just want to understand. You know
that, son, don't you?"

The boy's head went up at that. His gaze deserted the hydrangea, for the
first time that day, met his uncle's, squarely if somewhat miserably.

"It isn't that, Uncle Phil. You have every right to come down on me. I
hadn't any business to have the car out at all, much less take fool
chances with it. But honestly I have told you all--all I can tell. I did
lie to you just now. I wasn't alone. There was a--a girl with me."

Ted's face was hot again as he made the confession.

"I see," mused the doctor. "Was she hurt?"

"No--that is--not much. She hurt her shoulder some and cut her head a
bit." The details came out reluctantly as if impelled by the doctor's
steady eyes. "She telephoned me today she was all right. It's a miracle
we weren't both killed though. We might have been as easy as anything.
You said just now nothing you could say would make me have sense about
speeding. I guess what happened last night ought to knock sense into me
if anything could. I say, Uncle Phil--"

"Well?" as the boy paused obviously embarrassed.

"If you don't mind I'd rather not say anything more about the girl.
She--I guess she'd rather I wouldn't," he wound up confusedly.

"Very well. That is your affair and hers. Thank you for coming halfway to
meet me. It made it easier all around."

The doctor held out his hand and the boy took it eagerly.

"You are great to me, Uncle Phil--lots better than I deserve. Please
don't think I don't see that. And truly I am awfully ashamed of smashing
the car, and not telling you, as I ought to have this morning, and
spoiling Tony's fun and--and everything." Ted swallowed something down
hard as if the "everything" included a good deal. "I don't see why I have
to be always getting into scrapes. Can't seem to help it, somehow. Guess
I was made that way, just as Larry was born steady."

"That is a spineless jellyfish point of view, Ted. Don't fool yourself
with it. There is no earthly reason why you should keep drifting from one
escapade to another. Get some backbone into you, son."

Ted's face clouded again at that, though he wasn't sulky this time. He
was remembering some other disagreeable confessions he had to make before
long. He knew this was a good opening for th