staggered back, tripped over his own clumsy heels, and splashed
full length into it.

"Oh, oh!" he bawled, managing to get well soaked before he
scrambled out. " I'll tell my father on you, Hi Strong. You'll
catch it for this!"

"You'd better run home before you catch cold," said Hiram, who
could not help laughing at the young rascal's plight. "And let
girls alone another time."

To himself he said: "Well, the goodness knows I couldn't be much
more in bad odor with Mr. Dwight than I am already. But this
escapade of his precious son ought to about 'fix' me, as Dan,
Junior, says.

"Whether I want to, or not, I reckon I will be looking for
another job in a very few days."



CHAPTER TWO

AT MRS. ATTERSON'S

When you came into "Mother" Atterson's front hall (the young men
boarders gave her that appellation in irony) the ghosts of many
ancient boiled dinners met you with--if you were sensitive and
unused to the odors of cheap boarding houses--a certain shock.