"Are you ill, father, or hurt?"

"I am well," Mr. Kendall answered, and then was silent, making a
pretense of beginning to eat.

"Your father thinks of going on a journey," Mrs. Kendall said, in
response to her son's puzzled look.

Larry was keen enough to observe that, whatever the trouble might be, it
was something which they did not wish to discuss before him; and, while
he was naturally curious to learn the cause of his father's sudden
journey, he was too discreet to ask any questions about the matter.

"Did you speak to Mr. Gardner about my running the engine?" he asked, as
he took his seat at the table.

"No; that wasn't necessary. You have taken my place several times within
a year, when I have been away or ill, and you are always with me when
your school isn't keeping. I have told him more than once that you knew
about the engine as well as I did; and you know I have always taken
pains to explain everything, and to have you do all of the work at
times, when I was there to show you how."

Larry's heart swelled with pride under these frankly spoken words. His
father was not much given to praising any one, and the boy had often
felt hurt that no word of acknowledgment ever came as a reward when he
had successfully done some difficult work.

This made the praise which came now all the more inspiring. Mr. Gardner,