know some of us!"

"Yes," agreed Mr. Arp, his voice recovered,
"and _I_ know IT."

"You do?" exclaimed the Colonel.

"I do, and so do you. It's Fanny Louden's boy,
'Gene, come home for his Christmas holidays."

"By George! you're right," cried Flitcroft; "I
recognize him now."

"But what's the matter with him?" asked Mr.
Bradbury, eagerly. "Has he joined some patent-
medicine troupe?"

"Not a bit," replied Eskew. "He went East
to college last fall."

"Do they MAKE the boys wear them clothes?"
persisted Bradbury. "Is it some kind of uniform?"

"I don't care what it is," said Jonas Tabor. "If
I was Henry Louden I wouldn't let him wear 'em
around here."

"Oh, you wouldn't, wouldn't you, Jonas?" Mr.
Arp employed the accents of sarcasm. "I'd like to
see Henry Louden try to interfere with 'Gene