d the professor as some sort
of an amiable lunatic. But that worthy man, supremely happy despite
his wet clothes, was quite contented, and from time to time dipped
into his satchel, like a bookworm into a favorite volume, and drew out
a particularly valued specimen and admired it.

They soon reached his home, a pretty cottage on the outskirts of
Creston, a small town with elm-shaded streets. The professor invited
the boys to accompany him into the house. They were met in the passage
by a shrill-voiced woman who looked like the professor in petticoats.

"My sister, Miss Melissa," said the professor. "My dear, these
are----"

But he got no further in his introduction. Miss Melissa's hands went
up in the air and her voice rose in a shrill shriek as she saw her
brother's condition.

"Lan's sakes, Jerushah, where have you been?" she exclaimed.

"My dear, I must apologize for my condition," said the professor
mildly. "You see I----"

"You're dripping a puddle on my carpets. You're wringing wet through!"
shrilled Miss Melissa.

"Yes, you see, my dear, I've been down a well," explained the man of
science calmly.

"Do tell! Down a well, Jerushah? At your time of life!"

"You see I was after specimens, my dear," went on the professor.

"Specimens!" exclaimed Miss Melissa. "The whole house is full of old
rocks now, Jerushah, an' you have ter go down a well to get more."

"These are very valuable, my dear," said the professor, floundering
helplessly.

"Oh, don't tell me. A passel of old rocks. I'm going to get you a hot
mustard footbath and some herb tea right away," and without another
word, except something about "death of cold, passel of boys," the good
lady flounced off.

"She's like that sometimes, but she means well, Melissa does,"
explained the professor, with a rather sheepish look as he stood in
the midst of a puddle that was rapidly converting him into an isolated
island in the midst of Miss Melissa's immaculate hall carpet.
Suddenly, with one of his impulsive movements, he darted off into a
room opening off the hall and came back with a dollar bill he had
unearthed from a desk. He handed it to Jack, and then, raising his
finger to his lips, he said:

"Don't let Melissa see it. She's the best of women, is Melissa, but
peculiar about some things--er--very peculiar."

"Je-ru-shah!" came Miss Melissa's voice.

"Yes, my dear, coming," said the professor, and shouldering his bag
of specimens he shook hand