ime a report that Max was sick had reached the parlor, and Mr.
Dinsmore, his daughter, and granddaughter came up to express their
sympathy and see for themselves how serious the illness was. Their faces
were full of anxiety and concern till they learned the cause of the
sickness, when they evidently felt much relieved.

"Dear boy, I'm sorry you are suffering," Violet said, leaning over him,
"but I hope you will never try it again."

"Papa smokes," he said, "so I thought it was all right for me."

"No," said Mr. Dinsmore; "a grown person may sometimes do safely what is
dangerous for a younger one. You have my sympathy this time, Max, but if
ever you make yourself sick in the same way again, I don't think I shall
pity you at all. He will hardly be able to go home to-day, Arthur?"

"No, sir; leave him here in my care. To-morrow he will probably be quite
recovered, and I will drive him over in my gig."

"Would you like me to stay with you, Max?" Violet asked, laying her cool
hand on his forehead.

"Or me?" asked her mother.

"No, thank you, Grandma Elsie and Mamma Vi," he said. "You are both very
kind, but Walter and Gracie wouldn't know what to do without you; and I
shall do very well."

"Yes," said Ralph, "I'll help Art take care of him. I ought to, as I gave
him the cigar that sickened him so."

Mr. Dinsmore and the ladies then bade good-by and went down-stairs, the
doctor accompanying them, leaving the two boys alone together.

"Do you begin to get over it, old fellow?" asked Ralph.

"No; I'm wretchedly sick," said Max. "I think I've had enough tobacco to
last me all my days."

"O pshaw! it won't be half so bad next time, and pretty soon won't sicken
you at all."

"But what should I gain to pay me for all the suffering?"

"Well, it seems sort o' babyish not to smoke."

"Does it? I've never seen Grandpa Dinsmore smoke, and I don't believe he
ever does, nor Uncle Edward, nor Uncle Horace either."

"No, they don't, and Art doesn't, but they're all sort o' pious old
fogies," Ralph said, with a coarse laugh.

"I wouldn't talk so about my own relations, if I were you," returned Max,
in a tone of disgust.

"Of course I shouldn't let anybody else say a word against them," said
Ralph.

Arthur's entrance put an end to the conversation. He inquired of Max if
the sickness were abating; then sitting down beside him, "Boys," he said,
"I want to talk to you a little about this silly business of smoking and
chew