val on the road; he had been buried in thought, trying
to see what his duty might be, and as he continued on after leaving Ferd
he endeavored to forget the unpleasant incident, and resume his
planning.

Chances for work were not very abundant in and around Riverview.

Dick knew little about farming, and besides, even though he should
secure a job in that line he was aware that most farmers insisted upon
their help being on the ground all the time, as they had to get out long
before daylight to feed the stock, and since he could not leave his
mother alone he had to pass any such opportunity by.

There was the bank of which Mr. Gibbs was president; he had always
yearned to do something along that line; but having no experience he had
never dared apply for a position there, though envying Charles Doty, who
ran messages and made himself generally useful in the bank, "learning
the ropes, so that in time he could step into Mr. Gibbs' shoes," as he
used often to say with pride.

For a lad with business ambitions there remained only the two grocery
stores, and the grand emporium conducted by Mr. Graylock, an institution
he chose to call a department store, and which covered quite a large
space of ground.

Strange to say Dick had just been making up his mind to call on this
latter enterprising merchant and solicit an opening, at the time he met
the hopeful son on the road, and had another disagreeable experience
with Ferd; indeed, it seemed as though they could never come together
without some trouble arising, though Dick had resolved time and again
that he would not be the first to pick a quarrel.

Now he reflected that it was almost useless approaching Mr. Graylock,
for he felt sure that the gentleman must have heard about the time when
he and Ferd engaged in a rough and tumble fight on the baseball field,
after the other had deliberately struck him, and called him a coward
because he was so slow to take off his coat and engage in a combat that
proved to be rather gory for Ferd--yes, he _knew_ this must be the case,
for his mother had looked serious for some little time, and he heard
that the rich man was seen leaving their humble cottage one afternoon
while he was away.

So he felt undecided as to what he should attempt, and all the way home
he pondered over the situation, determined to do something to chase away
the look of concern which every now and then he saw gathering on his
mother's gentle face, when she did no