was actually as smooth as a razor could make it. In fact, he looked
just too sleek and well-fed for anything; and Thad, as usual, gritted
his teeth with savage emphasis to think how the fellow was imposing
on the good nature of that simple and big-hearted couple.

Then, too, he had the paper in his hand, which evidently Matilda had
given over to him immediately she entered. He made straight for that
hammock, as though he had actually heard Jim suggest such a charming
possibility.

"Now we're in great luck," Thad breathed, gripping Hugh by the knee,
as they crouched in company behind their screen of bushes. "We can
watch, and see just what effect that bombshell has on the skunk!"

"Keep quiet, Thad," warned Hugh; "or he might hear you."

The reformed tramp seemed to be very particular about his comfort
nowadays. Time was when he could throw himself down carelessly
on the hardest kind of ground and rest easy; but since he had taken
to living under a roof things were different. They saw him fix
the pillow in the hammock very carefully before he allowed himself
to recline there. Then he raised the paper, and seemed to take
a careless glance at it.

Hardly had he done this than the watchers saw him start upright again.
He was undoubtedly devouring the thrilling news item on the front
page with "avidity"---at least, that was what Jim Pettigrew would
have called it, had he been at his favorite job of "writing up"
the doings of Scranton society for the past week.