And I
want to feel we stand on our own feet."
"And not on the Lintons'!" said Tommy, laughing. "I quite agree--though
it's amazing to see how little they seem to mind our weight. Was there
ever such luck as meeting them, Bob?"
"Never," he agreed. "We'd have been wage-earners still, or struggling
little cocky farmers at the best, but for that letter of General
Harran's--though, I think more was due to the way you butted into their
taxi!"
"I believe it was," laughed Tommy. "It was the sort of thing to appeal
to the Lintons--it wouldn't to everybody. But the letter was behind it,
saying what a worthy young man you were!"
"Well, when you start calling me such a thing as 'worthy,' it's time I
left and got dressed for tea," said her brother, rising slowly. "English
mail ought to be in, by the way; I'm wondering what old Mr. M'Clinton
will say when he hears we were burned out in our first season."
"He'll wish he'd sent us to the snows of Canada, where such things
don't happen on New Year's day," Tommy said. "Still, he ought not to be
anxious about us--Mr. Linton wrote and told him our position was quite
sound."
"Oh, I don't think he'll worry greatly," said Bob. "I must hurry, old
girl, or I'll be late--and I want a tub before tea."
The boys came down in flannels, ready for a game of tennis after tea;
and Bob and Wally were just leaving the court after a stoutly-contested
set, when black Billy brought the mail-bag across the lawn to Mr.
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