d hopeful. Yours may come in some day, but I don't
think mine ever will."

"Have you anything for me to do, aunt?"

"Not at present, Robert."

"Then I'll study a little."

There was an unpainted wooden shelf which Robert had made himself and on
it were half a dozen books--his sole library.

From this shelf he took down a tattered arithmetic and a slate and
pencil, and, going out of doors, flung himself down on the cliff and
opened the arithmetic well toward the end.

"I'll try this sum in cube root," he said to himself. "I got it wrong
the last time I tried."

He worked for fifteen minutes and a smile of triumph lit up his face.

"It comes right," he said. "I think I understand cube root pretty well
now. It was a good idea working by myself. When I left school I had only
got through fractions. That's seventy-five pages back and I understand
all that I have tried since. I won't be satisfied till I have gone to
the end of the very last page."

Here his aunt came to the door of the cabin and called "Robert."

"All right, aunt; I'm coming."

The boy rose to his feet and answered the summons.

CHAPTER II

ROBERT AND MRS. JONES

"Are you willing to go to the village for me, Robert?" asked his aunt.

"To be sure I am, aunt," answered the boy promptly. "I hope you don't
doubt it?"

"I thought you might be tired, as you were out all the forenoon in the
boat."

"That's sport, Aunt Jane. That doesn't tire me."

"It would if you were not very strong for a boy."

"Yes, I am pretty strong," said Robert complacently, extending his
muscular arms. "I can row the boat when the tide is very strong. What
errand have you got for me to the village, aunt?"

"I have been doing a little sewing for Mrs. Jones."

"You mean the landlord's wife?" questioned Robert.

"Yes; I don't feel very friendly toward her husband, for it's he that
sells strong drink to my husband and keeps his earnings from me, but I
couldn't refuse work from her when she offered it to me."

Mrs. Trafton spoke half apologetically, for it had cost her a pang to
work for her enemy's family, but Robert took a practical view of the
matter.

"Her money is as good as anybody's," he said. "I don't see why you
shouldn't take it. She has enough of our money."

"That's true, Robert," said his aunt, her doubts removed by her young
nephew's logic.

"Is the bundle ready. Aunt Jane?"

"Here it is, Robert," and the fisherman's wife handed him a small