Al was bowed, by the now obsequious servant, into Mrs. Anderson's elegantly furnished drawing room. "I beg your pardon, sir," said the man, cringingly. "I didn't know that you were a friend of the family, or I wouldn't have spoken as I did. You see, sir, we're a good deal troubled by book agents and such like." "Wouldn't it be a good idea to be civil to everyone?" said Al. "It would not cost you anything, and you'd be sure to make no mistake." "Yes, sir. You won't say anything to Mrs. Anderson, will you, sir? It might cost me my place." "No, no!" returned Al, so impatient to see the mayor's wife that he scarcely heard what the man said. "Thank you, sir." At this moment the sound of approaching footsteps was heard, and the servant hastily bowed himself out. Scarcely had he gone when Mrs. Anderson entered the room, followed by her husband. She was a tall, slender, rather good-looking woman of about thirty; he a short, pompous man, at least ten years his wife's senior. The lady approached Al with outstretched hands. "My brave, noble boy," she cried, "how delighted I am to see you! And I did not even know your name until I received your card just now. I am so glad you did not allow yourself to be sent away. But why have you not called before?" "Yes, why have you not called before?" echoed the mayor, seizing the boy's hands, which his wife had just relinquished. Al, considerably embarrassed, murmured something about not wanting to intrude. "Intrude!" cried the lady. "You are, like all heroes, modest to a fault. You will always be a welcome guest here. But sit down; you must spend the evening with us." "I cannot," began the boy. "Nonsense! I will take no refusal. He must stay, mustn't he, Mr. Anderson?" "By all means," smiled the mayor. "And we will talk about his heroic deed," went on Mrs. Anderson. "It was a fortnight ago, but the scene comes up before me as vividly as if it had been only yesterday--the maddened horses, our child directly in their path, her rescue by this noble boy at the imminent risk of his own life. In another moment she would have been crushed under the feet of the runaway animals had he not sprang forward and dragged her out of danger." "It was a heroic act," said the mayor. "It was nothing more than almost anyone would have done, sir," said the blushing lad. "It was more than anyone else did," returned Mr. Anderson, "and I understand that the affair was witnessed by a dozen or more persons. But why have you not called before? I understood my wife to say that she asked you to come that afternoon. You did not come, and we tried in every way to discover your identity, even going so far as to advertise for you." "I saw the advertisements, sir," replied Al. "Ah! and that is why you are here?" "Oh, no, sir. The advertisements mentioned that you wanted to give me a reward." "Of course we did. You don't mean to say that it was the fear of having a reward forced upon you that kept you away?"