," he replied gravely.

"It does, does it!" exclaimed Mr. Croyden. "Very well; the lecturer
will be ready at seven sharp. I make it a point never to disappoint an
audience."

With a good-natured laugh he was gone.

"I hope I don't bother Mr. Croyden too much, Father," observed Theo
reflectively, after the older man was out of hearing.

"I guess you don't," answered the Doctor. "At first I was afraid you
might be taking too much of his time, so I asked him; but I soon found
he enjoyed these talks quite as much as you. He is a good talker, and
like the rest of us finds it pleasant to discuss his hobby. I begged
him to be frank and tell you whenever he was too tired or busy to
talk, and he promised he would."

"He has been mighty good to me."

"He certainly has," agreed Dr. Swift. "He likes boys very much. It is
a pity he has no son of his own."

"It is a shame!" exclaimed Theo. "He would make such a splendid father
for some boy."

Dr. Swift nodded.

"Boys are of course a great nuisance, and they make us lots of
trouble," he remarked dryly, "but they are good things to have in the
house in spite of that."

As he rose to go he cast a whimsical glance at his son.

"I'll leave you this book to read," he said. "Mother sent it. And
here are some letters. Here, too, is a picture puzzle which looks as
if it might keep you busy for some time. I guess you won't be idle
before I get back."

Theo met his eye with a bright smile.

"I guess I won't have a chance to be," he replied.

The book proved to be an aeroplane story of just the kind Theo liked;
and the puzzle was so hard that he worked on it at intervals most of
the day. Then came twilight and with it a game of cribbage with his
father, after which he had a deliciously cooked dinner of fried perch,
browned potatoes, and a marvelous three-story chocolate pie, a
masterpiece of Franz's cookery.

"I think this has been about the best day yet," Theo remarked when
promptly at seven Mr. Croyden drew his chair up into the firelight.
"Father does plan such jolly things for me to do! And you, and Manuel,
and Franz are so kind!"

"Those of us who have our legs ought to be, that's sure," was
Mr. Croyden's grim response. "It is the least we can do. In my
opinion you have been a real hero, Theo. If my leg had been broken I
should never have been so patient. You would have seen me storming
round like a caged tiger. In fact I doubt even if lectures delivered
by such a bri