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"I will remember."

"Don't go till to-morrow."

"No, I won't. I shall need a little time to get ready."

At this point a message came for Bertram to transmit, and Jed walked over to the beach, feeling dull and despondent. As he sauntered on slowly with his eyes on the sand some one called out, "Hallo, there!"

Looking up, he met the gaze of Percy Dixon.

"Where's Chester?" asked Percy.

"In the hotel, I suppose."

"Why isn't he with you?"

"Because he is no longer under my charge," answered Jed eyeing Percy fixedly.

"Ho, ho! you don't mean to say that you're bounced!" queried Percy, with a look of malicious pleasure.

"That is about the size of it."

"Well, I am surprised," returned Percy cheerfully. "What have you been up to?"

"Nothing."

"Then why are you discharged?" asked Percy with a look of innocent wonder.

"I don't think you need ask, Percy Dixon," said Jed coldly. "If you had not made your appearance at Sea Spray I should have kept my place."

"Ho, ho! What have I been doing, I should like to know?" asked Percy smiling.

"I don't need to tell you. You told Miss Holbrook that I had been brought up in the Scranton poorhouse."

"Well, it's true, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is true, but you understood very well what would be the result of your communication."

"As she asked me about you, I had to tell"

"You gave her the name of Mr. Fogson and led to her writing to him."

"So he's written, has he." "

Yes; Miss Holbrook showed me the letter this morning."

"What did he say?" asked Percy, smiling.

"Probably Miss Holbrook will show you the letter if you ask her."

"I will. I should like to see what old Fogson says. He don't admire you very much."

"There is no love lost between us."

"Well, what are you going to do?" inquired Percy, whose weak point was curiosity.

"I shall try to get another position."

"Do you expect to go back to the stage?"

"No; my old part in the 'Gold King' has been taken by the actor whose place I filled during his sickness."

"Then you haven't anything in view."

"Nothing particular."

"Then I advise you to go back to the poorhouse. Fogson will be glad to see you. I will arrange it with father."

"You are very kind, but I have no more idea of returning to the poorhouse than you have of making your home there."

"I'll thank you not to mention my name in connection with the poorhouse," said Percy, coloring and speaking angrily.

"I will make the same request of you."

"You are getting on your high horse," re- marked Percy sarcastically.

"Perhaps so. Good morning."

"That fellow's the proudest beggar I ever saw," mused Percy, as he stood still on the beach and watched Jed's receding figure, "It's so ridiculous, too! A boy brought up in a poorhouse! I wonder if he has any idea what a fool he is making of himself."

"Why is Percy so malicious?" thought Jed, as he pursued his way, feeling, if anything, a little more despondent than before, "If our situations were changed I should delight in helping him along. He seems deter- mined to force me back to the poorhouse. But I won't go! I'll starve first."

To one who has been steadily employed enforced idleness is tedious and tiresome. As Jed paced the sands his life seemed perfectly aimless and he wondered how he was going to get through the day.

Moreover he missed Chester. The boy's warm heart and affectionate ways had endeared him to his young guardian, and Jed felt sad. To think that in all probability he should never again be on terms of intimacy with the little fellow.

Plunged in thought and despondent he sauntered along till suddenly he heard a young fresh voice that brought a brighter look to his face.

"Jed, Jed!"

Jed turned and saw a couple of -?- distant the boy of whom he had been thinking, walking beside his tall and stately aunt, who, after discharging Jed had felt obliged to undertake the charge of her young nephew herself.

"Why Chester!" said Jed with a bright smile.

Chester broke away from his aunt, and running up to Jed took his hand confidingly.

"Aunt Maria says you are going away!" he broke out "What makes you go away?"

"Your aunt has sent me away," announced Jed.

"But I won't let you go," said the little boy, taking a firmer grip of Jed's hand.

"Come back directly, Chester!" said Miss Holbrook frowning.

"I want to stay with Jed," said Chester rebelliously.

"But I don't want you to stay with him. Come back directly, you naughty boy!" exclaimed Miss Holbrook angrily.

"I'd rather stay with Jed!"

"Jedediah!" said Miss Holbrook, turning a look of displeasure upon Jed. "I am sorry that you incite Chester to acts of disobedience."

"Miss Holbrook," returned Jed independently, "I don't think I have done what you charge me with. I like Chester, and I cannot drive him away."

"That is all very well, but I understand your motives. You want to force me to take you back."

"Excuse me, I have no such thought. If your brother will take me back I shall be glad to return to him."