'll---I'll see."

When Doctor Kane was consulted on the subject, he pronounced Tom's
suggestion a good one, provided the three boys could manage to
get their meals properly. This they vowed they could do; so Kane,
considering it best to take Mrs. Kenyon to the hospital for treatment
as soon as convenient, urged her to consent to the plan. He left
the farmhouse, after a delicious breakfast, taking Tom Walsh and
Jack home in his car,---also the golden eagles, which he promised
to deliver to Professor Whalen that very day.

Two days later he returned with a check for one hundred and fifty
dollars, and a letter expressing the professor's complete satisfaction
at having obtained the fine specimens. When he returned to Oakvale
again, Mrs. Kenyon went with him, in his care.

The parting of mother and son was a tearful one, though Ralph,
choking down the big lump in his throat, tried manfully to cheer
his mother with every hope of recovery.

"It won't be very long before you're home again and everything'll
seem wonderful and bright and new to you, mother," he said. "And
don't you worry about me, for I'm getting along fine. I can hobble
around quite spry with this crutch. And Tom and Arthur are on deck,
you know. We'll behave ourselves and not get into any mischief,
and by the time you're home again we'll have done all the planting.
Good-bye, good-bye! I'll write to you every day."

CHAPTER VI

A NOCTURNAL VISITOR

Tom Sherwood threw out his arms and yawned loudly. "I'm sleepy," he
mumbled. "Guess I'll turn in, if you fellows are going to sit up
much longer."

"Good idea, Tom," commented Ralph, looking up from the letter he
was writing. "You've been making a holy show of yourself for the
last half hour, and I've been expecting every minute to see you
dislocate your jaw."

"It's being out in this air all day and doing such a lot of manual
labor," said Tom, as he staggered to his feet.

"Oh, say, I hope you're not doing too much! You know, Tom, you're
not used to farm work." Ralph laid down his pen and blotted the
letter with much deliberation. His pale face, from which the
freckles had faded noticeably during a week of indoor confinement,
wore an expression of deep concern. "And it's not easy, I can
tell you!"

Arthur Cameron chuckled. Though he said nothing, the expression on
his face was one of such utter disbelief that even Tom noticed it
and turned on him, frowning.

"Well, what are y