e shall
never be friends."

"Is Mrs. Hamilton expected in soon?" he asked.

"I really cannot say. She does not report to me how long she expects
to be gone."

"Didn't she speak to you about expecting me?" asked Ben, feeling
decidedly uncomfortable.

"Not a word!" was the reply.

"She wrote to me to come here, but perhaps she did not expect me so
soon."

"If you have come here to collect a bill, or with any business errand,
I can attend to you. I am Mrs. Hamilton's cousin."

"Thank you; it will be necessary for me to see Mrs. Hamilton."

"Then you may as well call in the afternoon, or some other day."

"That's pretty cool!" thought Ben. "That woman wants to get me out of
the house, but I propose to 'hold the fort' till Mrs. Hamilton
arrives."

"I thought you might know that I am going to stay here," said Ben.

"What!" exclaimed Mrs. Hill, in genuine surprise.

"Mrs. Hamilton has offered me a position, though I do not know what
the duties are to be, and am going to make my home here."

"Really this is too much!" said the pale-faced lady sternly. "Here,
Conrad!" she called, going to the door.

A third party made his appearance on the scene, a boy who looked so
much like Mrs. Hill that it was clear she was his mother. He was two
inches taller than Ben, but looked pale and flabby.

"What's wanted, ma?" he said, staring at Ben.

"This young man has made a strange mistake. He says Mrs. Hamilton has
sent for him and that he is going to live here.

"He's got cheek," exclaimed Conrad, continuing to stare at Ben.

"Tell him he'd better go!"

"You'd better go!" said the boy, like a parrot.

"Thank you," returned Ben, provoked, "but I mean to stay."

"Go and call a policeman, Conrad," said Mrs. Hill. "We'll see what
he'll have to say then."

CHAPTER XIX
A COOL RECEPTION

"This isn't quite the reception I expected," thought Ben. He was
provoked with the disagreeable woman who persisted in regarding and
treating him as an intruder, but he was not nervous or alarmed. He
knew that things would come right, and that Mrs. Hill and her
promising son would see their mistake. He had half a mind to let
Conrad call a policeman, and then turn the tables upon his foes. But,
he knew that this would be disagreeable to Mrs. Hamilton, whose
feelings he was bound to consider.

"Before you call a policeman," he said quietly, "it may be well for
you to read this letter."

As he spoke handed Mrs. Hill