k some o' the folks to help me out p'raps we kin
pull through; but the best o' friends pull back wen money is spoken of.
They all got ther own burdens to kerry. I know I war a fool to ever do
it; but Jenny got on my nerves yuh see, an' promised to give it back.
An' thet shark, Quarles, it does him a lot o' good to know he kin push
me down a peg," he said, with a heavy sigh.

"I seemed to get the notion that he didn't love you very much, Mr.
Peake," remarked Darry.

"I thort he'd forgot all about it, but now I know he ain't, the skunk!
He holds it agin me, and hes all these years. I reckon he jest hugged
hisself wen I kim to him an' asked that loan. It war jest like playin'
into his hands. Yuh see, lad, him an' me was rivals onct on a time."

Darry pricked up his ears.

Here was a touch of romance, something one would hardly expect to find
in connection with so ordinary looking a man as Abner Peake.

"You mean that he wanted Nancy--that is Mrs. Peake, to marry him?" he
asked.

"Thet's jest it, son. I reckon he'd a got her, too, fur I didn't hold a
candle to Darius wen it kim to looks or larnin', but yuh see thet's whar
chanct stepped in an' guv me a shove."

"Something happened then?"

"Nancy fell overboard off a boat we was all on. Darius, he didn't know
how to swim and all he could do was to yell and wave his arms."

"And you went overboard after her?"

"I reckon I did. They sed as how I was in the water nigh about as quick
as Nancy herself. She was a carryin' on high, like she was chokin', when
I got to her, but I had her out in a jiffy. Arter thet she kinder took
to me, an' Darius he got the mitten."

"Now I understand why he feels that way toward you," said Darry, wisely.

"They was some things I never did understand 'bout that thing. Nancy,
she was allers the best gal swimmer in the village, but she did act like
she was drownin' that day. Some sed as how they thort she tumbled over
apurpose jest to hev some fun, an' see which o' her beaux'd drap in
arter her the quickest," and the surfman smiled at the thought.

"And you won out. I guess Mr. Quarles has never forgiven you for that.
But what can be done to beat him at his game now? Isn't there any way?"

"We got a week to try, an' as I git off before the end o' the time I'll
see if anything kin be did. P'rhaps Keeler might help me out, though I
did hear him say he was mighty hard up jest now. It was nice in yuh
tryin' to do wot yuh did, boy. I knowed