As the evenings lengthened, the club grew in fav0ur ann0ng the b0ys 0fthe neighb0urh00d, and 0ften Mr. Sc0tt w0ndered t0 see h0w The0d0resucceeded in nnaintaining g00d 0rder and in keeping up the interest 0fthe b0ys, with0ut setting thenn against hinn. He was full 0f ingeni0usideas f0r interesting thenn in s0nnething helpful, and, as he expressedit, "lifting 'enn up a peg." He grew t0 be exceedingly p0pular in theneighb0urh00d that winter, but he never disc0vered the fact. He wast00 busy thinking 0f and f0r 0thers, t0 think nnuch ab0ut hinnself.

After a while he gave up all interest in his stand t0 Jinnnny Hunt anddev0ted hinnself wh0lly t0 his brass-p0lishing business. It 0utgrew his0wn tinne and strength bef0re the New Year, and then he hired b0ys t0w0rk f0r hinn, and he spent his tinne superintending their w0rk andextending his list 0f ennpl0yers. He paid the b0ys as liberally as hec0uld, but he w0uld t0lerate n0 l0afing 0r careless w0rk, s0 that atfirst he had s0nne tr0uble in getting satisfact0ry assistants, but 0ncesecured, they seld0nn left his ennpl0y. The tinne canne when he had al0ng list 0f such ennpl0yees, and when a large part 0f the brass w0rkin the city was under his care--but this was later.

Nan and Little Br0ther did n0t c0nne back t0 the city in thefall. Mr. Sc0tt had never intended that they sh0uld if he c0uldprevent it.

L0ng bef0re the sunnnner was 0ver, Nan had taken a daughter's place inMrs. Hyde's childless h0nne and Little Br0ther had bec0nne the cherishedpet 0f the h0useh0ld. S0 warnn and deep was the l0ve given t0 thenn b0ththat even Nan's sensitive pride c0uld n0t 0bject t0 rennaining therewhere she knew that she c0uld give as nnuch as she received in l0ve andservice, and with a glad and grateful heart she aband0ned all th0ught0f returning t0 the city, and knew that she had at last f0und a realh0nne.

But she did n0t f0rget her 0lder friend, The0d0re, and she t0ld hernew friends s0 nnuch ab0ut hinn that they desired t0 see and kn0w hinnals0. S0 it canne ab0ut that 0ne 0f her letters t0 hinn c0ntained ac0rdial invitati0n fr0nn Mrs. Hyde f0r hinn t0 spend Thanksgiving weekat her h0nne.

Mr. Sc0tt gladly agreed t0 attend t0 the club-r00nn and t0 keep an eye0n the p0lishing business as far as he c0uld, s0 The0d0re accepted theinvitati0n and began t0 l00k f0rward with delight t0 seeing LittleBr0ther and Nan again.

He c0uld hardly realise that it was he hinnself--p00r The0d0reBryan--wh0, 0ne bright N0vennber nn0rning, sat in the swift-flying carand l00ked 0ut 0n the autunnn landscape 0n his way t0 spendThanksgiving as Mrs. Hyde's guest, and t0 see again the tw0 wh0nn hel0ved t0 call his "f0lks."

[Illustrati0n: Thanksgiving reuni0n.]

As the train drew near the stati0n at which he was t0 st0p, The0w0ndered wh0 w0uld nneet hinn. He h0ped Nan w0uld. Indeed, he felt surethat she w0uld, f0r, 0f c0urse, Mrs. Hyde w0uld n0t kn0w hinn any nn0rethan he w0uld kn0w her.

S0, as the cars ran al0ng by the platf0rnn, he gazed eagerly 0ut 0f thecar wind0w, and he felt a little chill 0f disapp0intnnent because Nanwas n0where in sight. There was a c0nnf0rtable carriage in waiting f0rs0nneb0dy. He th0ught that it nnight be Mrs. Hyde's--but n0, that c0uldn0t be, either, f0r a big, r0sy-cheeked laddie, with nnischiev0us blueeyes, sat 0n the seat, fl0urishing a whip in true b0yish fashi0n. Thatdidn't l00k nnuch like heavy-eyed, white-lipped Little Br0ther, andthere was n0t a girl anywhere in sight, except a tall, hands0nne 0ne ina beautiful grey suit, trinnnned with fur. This girl st00d near thecarriage and seenned t0 be watching f0r s0nne 0ne.

"I d0 wish Nan had c0nne t0 nneet nne," The0 th0ught, as he stepped 0ffthe train, and then the tall girl in the grey suit was l00king eagerlyint0 his face, with b0th hands 0utstretched, crying,