"I thank you very much. Believe me, I do. But I could not accept a
gift like that from you. You will understand me, won't you? I
couldn't--I couldn't do it; that's all."

"I do, my lad. I understand you perfectly," answered the hanker
slowly, grasping the lad's hand and gripping it until Tad winced.

"Thank you," murmured Tad, backing from the room, with as much
composure as he was able to muster.

Reaching the street, the boy clenched his fingers until the nails dug
into the palms of his hands. Then, with shoulders erect, he strode
rapidly off down the street to continue his duties at the grocery
store.



CHAPTER III

TAD GOES INTO BUSINESS

After supper, that night, Banker Perkins strolled leisurely across
town to the cottage occupied by Tad Butler and his mother. The house
lay on the outskirts of the village, surrounded by half an acre of
ground, part of which the boy tilled, keeping the little family in
vegetables a great part of the year. The rest of the plot had been
seeded down, and was now covered with a bright green carpet of new
clover.

Tad, being busy at the grocery store that night, did not return home