me, and every move I make I seem to be

d of the most eventful day in his young life. The hours had indeed been f

h was full of mud, his hair was a dripping mop, his clothes were plastered with it. Frank had waited to respond to any later move that Gill might decide on. The jeweler's nephew, however, made none. As h

oke to the companions of Gill. "I'd hate to change my opinion by

and shook hands with him. Another remarked that he believed no story until he had evidence of its truthfulness, an

ided that he must have left it on the log frame or dropped it to the ground when he had started out to meet Gill Mace. Frank val

in sleep that the jeweler would not dare to have

ic insinuations of Mace would damage Frank's character. Now that he had taught Gill Ma

wn," decided Frank. "I

actually sue th

ful rumble and crash deafened his ears, and he fancied that the bed was vibrating. A

tones of his aunt, as she knocked sharply a

ened?" inquire

he affrighted spinster. "It felt like an earthquake. I

house," observed Frank, as he jumped to

that,

xplosion blowing up somebody's safe, a

lled through and shaking all over. Get outside

ental blast at the quarry down the river

As he walked down to the gate Frank noticed lights appear in many houses n

ue chorus of sounds unusual for the midnight hour, were drifted to Frank's hearing. From all

here's some kind of a commotion over near the schoolhou

d turmoil. He went back into the house to find his aunt seated in

hat is it?" s

going to," he announced, a

it comi

t comin

-whateve

any, has it? And I

d on a run toward the town. Taking the middle of the ro

" challenge

truck gardner who lived just beyond th

bbins'

one they'

s bearings and has rolled ri

xclaimed Frank, with

nly it's the greatest wreck of br

hurt,

at a great rate, saying that the town, or the county,

od their business very well to hav

ed Daley, and they part

an h

of the state of affai

s to have a view of the

d took a stroll over to t

of his lost knife and

us. Where the Dobbins house had been anchored on the hillside the ground was torn up and disturbed as though a cyclone had passed o

hrough his mind, Frank found it difficult to fix his attention on his books that morning. He was glad to get out of the house when ten o

t cut through a little grove at the rear of the h

ted to find the miserly old fellow in the depths of despair over the lo

bed with a broad smile.

r, Mr. D

ughed in a pleased, crafty way

he held three coins in his palm. There was

"Double eagle a good dea

an

ld fellow picked out the twenty-dollar gold piece

r a boy to squander even as

e could not surmise what th

the right thing," resumed Dobbins, "you're mightil

at?" inqu

Dobbins. "Take it quick,

llars, you mean?"

act

that? You don't

oy, I owe you everything. No no

see-" beg

e in a crafty, expressive way. He winked b

ing into particulars, but-you know right eno