r all you could catch," she said, leaving him, to begin to look after
the supper that was cooking on the stove.

"Only if everything else fails can I try that," he explained. "You see
one can't depend on the fish to do their part of the contract. Some days
they refuse to bite at all, and then other days are stormy. But I've got
several ideas that I'm bound to try out, and I'm going to start
to-morrow."

That was all he said, for Dick never liked to boast in advance of what
he expected to accomplish, having learned from sad experience that very
often a snag is apt to sink the craft freighted with hopes, and when
least expected.

He busied himself setting the table, while his mother lighted the lamp
and prepared to serve their frugal meal.

It was a time of year when very little came in from the small garden
that lay back of the house, and which they took care of in common, Dick
doing all the hard work and his mother some of the weeding; later on
they expected that the proceeds from this patch would provide many a
good meal, should the weather smile upon their united efforts.

Being naturally a boy who looked upon the bright side of things, as a
healthy lad might be expected to do, Dick had proved a blessing to his
mother times without number.

He laughed and chatted as they sat at the table, and for the time being
the poor little woman really forgot that there was such a thing as
anxiety in this world.

Even the little encounter with Ferd was related with more or less humor;
and yet while Mrs. Morrison found herself compelled to smile at Dick's
quaint description of the way in which Ferd over-leaped himself, at the
same time a shade of worry crept over her face.

"Oh! I hope he will not tell his father about it and try to lay the
blame on your shoulders," she said, sighing.

"But why should he, mother? I had nothing to do with it, and never even
touched his old motor-cycle until I offered to help him get it out of
the ditch? Now you never told me that Mr. Graylock came around to
complain about me that other time, but I guessed it all the same. It was
just like him to threaten that he would do something awful if I ever put
a hand on his precious son again. Poor little fellow, he's only three
inches taller than me. You know I told you all about that trouble at the
time, mother?" he expostulated, indignantly.

"Yes, yes, so you did, my son, and I told Mr. Graylock that you could
not have been to blame--that afte