staste.

"How are you getting on, sir?" asked Dick.

The sick man looked at the boy, and nodded with a faint smile.

"I'm better, thanks; nearly well, I devoutly trust."

"That's all right," commented Dick cheerfully. "Thought I'd just look
in. Shan't upset you, or disturb you, shall I, sir?"

"Not in the very least," was the reply. "I'm very glad to see you. Won't
you sit down? Not there, but some place where I can see you."

Dick sat on the end of the bed and leaned against the rail, with his
hands in his pockets.

"I ought to introduce myself, I suppose. I'm what is called in the
novels 'the son of the house'; I'm Nell's brother, you know."

Mr. Vernon nodded.

"So I see, by the likeness."

"Rather rough on Nell, that, isn't it? I'll tell her," said Dick, with a
spark of mischief in his eye. "Why, she's as black as a coal, and I'm
fair."

"You are alike, all the same," said the invalid, rather indifferently.

"My name is Dick--Dick, as a rule; Richard, when my stepmother is more
than usually riled with me."

"Permit me to call you by the shorter name," said Mr. Vernon. "I'm
afraid I've been a terrible nuisance, and must continue to be for some
days. The doctor tells me that I can't venture to move yet."

"That's all right," responded Dick cheerfully. "We shall be glad to see
you about again, of course; but don't worry yourself on our account,
sir. To tell you the truth, we rather enjoy--that is, some of us"--he
corrected--"having 'an accident case' in the house. Mamma, for instance,
hasn't been so happy for a long while."

"Mrs. Lorton must be extremely good-natured and charitable," commented
Mr. Vernon.

Dick looked rather doubtful.

"Er--ye-s. You see, it's a little change and excitement, and we don't
get much of that commodity in Shorne Mills. So we're rather grateful to
you than otherwise for pitching yourself at our front gate. If you could
have managed to break both arms and a leg, I verily believe that mamma
would have wept tears of joy."

"I'm afraid I can't say I'm sorry I did not gratify her to that extent,"
said Mr. Vernon, with a grim smile; but it was a smile, and his dark
eyes were scanning the boy's handsome face with something approaching
interest. "Mrs. Lorton is your stepmother? Did I hear her say so, or did
I dream it?"

"It's no dream; it's real enough," said Dick, with intense gravity. "My
father"--he seated himself more comfortably--"was Lorton & Lorton, the
Patent Coffe