"Well, I'm glad on't. Melindy's first husband was a no-account sort of a man, and it's my belief he didn't leave her a hundred dollars. He was shif'less; and, besides, he drank." So that was the man upon whom Abel must look as a father. Gerald felt glad to think that his father was a man of whom he had no reason to be ashamed. "Have you seen your sister since—since her last marriage?" he asked, with some curiosity. "No; I've never had an invitation to call upon her. I guess she was too much set up by her marriage to a rich man to notice a workin'-man. You see, I ain't one of your 'ristocrats—I'm only a blacksmith, and have to work hard for a living." "You are none the worse for that, Mr.——" here Gerald hesitated, for he had not yet learned the name of his new acquaintance. "Crane—Alonzo Crane—that's my name, young man. I'm glad you don't put on no airs, even if your father was a rich man. Do you know anything of my sister's son, Abel?" "Yes, sir; he is in Portville, living with his mother." "How do you like him?" Then, seeing that Gerald hesitated, he added: "You needn't mind telling me, for I ain't much stuck on the boy myself, even if he is my nephew." "I don't like him much, Mr. Crane." "I don't know anybody that does, except his mother. He and Melindy—that's his mother—have seen some pretty hard times. More'n once his mother has sent him to me for a little help when they hadn't a penny in the house." This was news to Gerald, of course, but did not necessarily prejudice him against his stepmother and her son, but it made their present pretensions and airs rather ridiculous. "Why haven't you been to call on your sister before?" he asked. "Because she never invited me and I thought she wouldn't like to have her new husband see me." "My father would have received you kindly, Mr. Crane." "I am sure he would if you are like him. You ain't no kin to me, but I like you better already than Abel." "Thank you, Mr. Crane." "You needn't do that. It ain't sayin' much, for Abel, to my mind, is a disagreeable cub." Gerald began to think that Mr. Crane, despite his relationship to Mrs. Lane and Abel, was a man of excellent sense. "I wonder what sort of a welcome he will get," he thought. He had considerable doubt whether it would be very cordial. By this time they had reached a point in the road from which the Lane mansion was visible. "That is where your sister lives," he said, pointing to it. "You don't say! Well, it is a nice place. Melindy has feathered her nest pretty well." "That is true enough," said Gerald to himself. "It's lucky I fell in with you, young man. You didn't tell me your name." "Gerald—I am Gerald Lane." "I wish you was my nephew instead of Abel. How long has Abel been here?" "Only since my father died." "Melindy was sly. Like as not she never told your father she had a son." "She said he knew it; but I never heard of Abel till a few days ago."