“Here’s to the ‘Tramp’s Rest,’” said Tom when we had all been provided with coffee. “I boney a cot in this house to-night. You fellows can sleep in rooms if you want. For me the stars through the cracks.” ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CHAPTER XXIX MINERVA AND THE SNAKE. THE latter part of the week Ethel received a letter from Billy, saying that he and Jack would be delighted to come up. Billy’s letter was characteristic. It ran: “My Dear Mrs. Vernon: “You are a kind, good lady. Jack agrees with me in this. You have saved our lives. It has been a long time since we sold any pictures, and we have forgotten the address of our bank, so we were not thinking of going to any summer resort this summer, but your invitation could not be refused without insulting you. “It is not entirely as if we were strangers, however, because we know Tom (oh, don’t we know him) and we know your husband. Tom has brought him to the Olla Podrida Club more than once and has made him smoke the club cigars which we thought unkind. So we have a certain sympathy with your husband and are prepared to like him better the more we know him. “Will you please ask Tom to tell us what train to take, and also to do any other things that are necessary. He will understand. “Please give my regards to Miss Paxton. You mentioned her as part of your ‘party,’ and she must be a large part, unless she has changed. I used to know her before I came to New York, when she was a little girl (three years ago). “Jack wants me to tell you that whatever I think of you he thinks also, and that you do not know how much you have done for ART IN AMERICA by making it possible for us to set down on canvas the beauties of your state. (I’m not sure whether that should be a capital S or not.) “Yours cordially, “WILLIAM EDSON.” When we showed the letter to Tom and asked him what Mr. Edson meant by saying, “ask Tom to do any other things that are necessary,” he burst into a roar of laughter. “That means in plain English that the dear boys are stone broke, and that they will need money before they can buy their tickets. I will telegraph them ten dollars.” “Do you mean to say,” said Benedict, “that those young men are going to borrow the money to come up here?” “Yes, why not?” said Tom with just a suspicion of heat in his tone.