Although their little talk was broken off by the sudden coming of the
man-servant who looked after the crippled boy, Jack had never
forgotten the last words Carl spoke to him:

"Oh! what wouldn't I give if grandfather would let me just
_watch_ other boys play ball, and fish, and go in swimming!"

Jack had somehow never told any one of his little encounter with the
crippled boy, but those plaintive words often rang in his ears. He had
even wondered sometimes whether it would do any good if he should seek
an interview with the crabbed, cross-grained old man, and try to
persuade him to change his belief that he was doing right in
sheltering the cripple from a rude world. But up to the present Jack
had not been able to make up his mind to attempt such a bold thing.

And now, what if it turned out that this was the house that was afire,
possibly set ablaze through some spark that had been carried by the
wind, and lodged where it could communicate to some waste material. A
peculiar sense of "coming events casting a shadow before" assailed
Jack. He had a vague idea that there might prove to be more about this
than mere accident. Sometimes a strange "Destiny shapes our ends," he
remembered reading, "rough-hew them as we may." Mr. Adkins had
determined that his poor grandson, whom he passionately loved, should
be sheltered from stinging criticism, and not allowed to mingle with
his kind; but perhaps a power stronger than his will might take
affairs in hand, to guide him along a new path, as his eyes were
opened to the light.

There was now no longer any doubt concerning the identity of the