ND.

"You'll catch cold if you stand around in this wind," remarked Ralph to
Horace Kelsey, "especially as you are not used to it."

"That is true," returned the young man. "I wish I had some place where I
might dry myself."

"You can go over to our cottage, if you wish. Mother is at home, and she
will willingly let you dry yourself at the kitchen fire. I would lend you
one of my suits, but I imagine it wouldn't be large enough."

"Hardly," laughed the young man. "Do you live far from here?"

"No, sir; that is the cottage right there. See, my mother is in the garden,
looking this way."

"Thanks, I'll take up with your kind offer. I am beginning to get chilled
in spite of the sunshine."

Saying that he would be back later, Horace Kelsey left the bridge and took
the path leading to the cottage. Ralph saw him speak to his mother, and a
moment later both passed into the cottage.

It was now drawing toward noon, and the people began to cross the bridge in
both directions, on their way to dinner. Each one either paid a cent or
passed over a ticket, sixty-five of which could be had for fifty cents. At
a quarter to one the same passengers began to go back to their work, and
this was kept up for half an hour, at the end of which the young bridge
tender had collected twenty-one cents and forty-three tickets.

Several horns now began to blow from both Big Silver and Silver Lakes,
showing that the boats wished to pass through the draw. The bridge, which
had been closed by Ralph immediately after the rescue of Horace Kelsey, was
opened for their accommodation.

While the young bridge tender was waiting for the last vessel to clear the
draw the young man from New York came back from the cottage, bringing with
him the lunch Mrs. Nelson usually brought herself. There was no time for
dinner during the middle of the day, and so the family had their principal
meal at night, when the draw was closed for the day, and Bob Sanderson went
on to collect the toll.

"Your mother gave me the lunch," said Horace Kelsey, as he handed the
basket to Ralph. "I told her I was coming down to see you."

"Is your clothing dry?"

"Oh, yes. She was kind enough to lend me some which had belonged to your
father, and built up an extra hot fire to dry my own. She also pressed out
my suit, as you can see. Your mother is a very accommodating lady."

Horace Kelsey did not add that he had paid Mrs. Nelson liberally for her
kindness, for he was not