You're not much more than seventy."

"I'm seventy-two. But come, let me see if I can get up with your help.
I want you to take me home, so you can go for Sydney. He's a good boy,
you say, one I can trust?" The old man looked in Roy's face closely as
the latter bent over him.

"Sydney is the best fellow that ever lived," replied Roy soberly.
"He's been a staff to my mother ever since father died, and has almost
taken his place to us children."

"Yes, yes. I've heard that what your father did for him years ago was
like bread cast upon the waters that's coming back after many days.
Let me see, how old are you?"

"Fifteen. I tell you what, Mr. Tyler. The girls are down under the
bridge. Wait a minute till I call down to them to send Syd over as
soon as he comes. Then I'll go home with you and needn't leave you."

"All right. You're very good to me, Roy Pell." The miser sank back on
the grass, while Roy hurried to the edge of the bluff and making a
trumpet of his hands, called down:

"Eva! Jess!"

"Yes, are you all right, Roy?" came back the answer in Eva's tones.

"All O. K., but Mr. Tyler's a little done up. I'm going home with him.
And he wants you to send Syd over as soon as he gets back. It's some
business matter, quite important, and we may both be late for tea.