"I know he's a hero," said Mabel, her eyes eloquent as she looked at Joe. "I can hardly pick up the paper but what it calls him the hero of the World's Series." "I don't mean a baseball hero," said Jim, "but a real, honest-to-goodness hero--the life-saver and all that kind of stuff, you know." "Yes," joined in Clara, "you came a day too late, Mabel. You ought to have seen Joe at the Opera House last night. He was simply great." "At the Opera House?" Mabel repeated, in some bewilderment. "Sure," chaffed Jim. "Didn't you know Joe'd gone on the stage?" "Yes," said Clara, carrying out the mystification. "He made a hit, too." "There was at least one man in the audience he made a hit with," chuckled Jim. "Don't let them fool you, Mabel," said Joe, tenderly. "There was just a little excitement at the Opera House last night and Jim and I took a hand in stopping it. They're making an awful lot of a very simple matter." "You've no idea what a voice Joe has for public speaking," persisted the irrepressible Jim. "Last night he was a howling success." "Clara, dear, tell me all about it," entreated Mabel. "We girls are the only ones who can talk sense." Thus appealed to, Clara told about the circumstances of the night before, and, as may be imagined, Joe did not suffer in the telling. If the latter had needed any other reward for his exploit he found it in Mabel's eyes as she looked at him. "I thought I knew all about you before," she said, in a half whisper, "but I'm learning all the time!" CHAPTER VI CIRCLING THE GLOBE When the party reached the Matson home, motherly Mrs. Matson took Mabel into her arms as she had long since taken her into her heart. Then Clara took her up to her room to refresh herself after the journey, while Jim and Joe took care of Reggie and his belongings. "Oh, I'm so glad that you've got here at last!" exclaimed Clara, as she placed an affectionate hand on Mabel's shoulder. "And you may be sure that I'm glad that I am here," was the happy response. "I declare, this place almost feels like home to me." "Well, you know, we want it to feel like home to you, Mabel," answered Joe's sister, and looked so knowingly at the visitor that Mabel suddenly began to blush. In the meantime, Joe had taken Reggie to the room which the young man was to occupy during his stay. Joe carried both of the bags, which were rather heavy, for the fashionable young man was in the habit of taking a good share of his wardrobe along whenever he left home. "Some weight to one of these bags, Reggie," remarked Joe good-naturedly, as he deposited the big Gladstone on the floor with a thud. "You must have about three hundred and fifteen new neckties in there." "Bah Jove, that's a good joke, Joe, don't you know!" drawled Reggie. "But you're wrong, my boy; I haven't more than ten neckties with me on this trip." "Say, I'm glad to know you've got so many. Maybe I'll want to borrow one," went on Joe, continuing his joke.