assent to so sweeping an assertion, but, poorer than Dunham on a recent
occasion, he had not even monosyllables at his command. It did
something novel to him to remember Laura and then picture this girl
alone at the Hotel Frisbie.

They floated in silence for nearly a minute, then the judge spoke:
"Thinkright has some very good ideas. It's an excellent practice, for
instance, to forgive your enemies, and even on some special occasions
to stretch a point and forgive your friends."

The young girl looked up at him. If this stranger knew her cousin he
could not be quite a stranger. "He is trying to teach me to think
right," she said simply. "It seemed at first as if it were going to be
easy even though it was different; but, oh, it's hard sometimes! I get
sore inside just as my arms used to in the gymnasium at school. Father
wrote me a note once to get me excused from physical exercise; but,"
she gave a little laugh and shrugged the shoulders of the blue sweater,
"Thinkright won't write me any note of excuse."

"H'm," thought the judge uncomfortably, "I guess she's got some of the
Trent old Adam to buck up against." His gaze did not remove from the
half-averted head with its sun-crowned, red-gold aureole.

"Who'd have thought Sam Lacey's carrot-top could be made over into
that?" he mused.

CHAPTER XIII

UNCLE AND NIECE

For a few moments Sylvia sat absorbed in her train of thought, and
suddenly coming to herself, found the stranger's intent gaze upon her.
He noted her sudden embarrassment, and hastened to speak.

"Thinkright's worst enemy could never accuse him of preaching what he
does not practice," he said.

"Has he any enemies?"

"He's liable to have one in me." The shaggy brows drew down, but the
thin, smooth-shaven lips twitched, and the girl saw that the speech had
a humorous intent.

She smiled. "Then I shall protect him. He is my cousin."

"Oh, you're related, eh?"

"Yes, and I love him. He is the only one of my relations that I can
endure!"

"H'm. Poor relations."

"No, indeed. Rich relations. I am the poor relation, that is the
trouble; but--if you know Thinkright you can imagine how he talks to me
about it."

"Preaches. I suppose so. Hard on you."

"No." Sylvia shook her head and patted the water with an oar. "He has
helped me. He knows wonderful ways of helping people."

"Well, I'll thank him not to send you out in this water in a boat that
you don't know how to manage."

Th