Mark put on his cap and turned towards the front door. Soon he was outside and hurrying towards the front gate. As he opened it he found himself face to face with his step-father. "Ha! I thought you might be here!" roared Jadell Powers. "I've caught you nicely!" He grabbed the youth by the arm. "What are you doing with that bag?" "It's my bag, and I am going away!" retorted Mark. "Let go of me!" "Let go? Not much, young man! I have caught you red-handed!" "I don't know what you mean by red-handed," said Mark, doggedly. "I am going away and that is all there is to it. You shan't stop me!" "If you talk like that, do you know what I'll do?" stormed Jadell Powers. "I'll hand you over to the police!" "You have no right to do that." "Yes, I have!" "You have not. I have done no wrong. You want to make a regular slave of me, but I won't stand it. I'm going to strike out for myself." "Tut! tut, a fine way for a boy of your age to speak! You ought to be in a--a reformatory this minute! This is what I get for trying to make a man of you!" "I don't want to be a lawyer, and I'm not going to copy legal documents all day long," answered Mark, as determinedly as ever. "You'll be what I want you to be!" "It takes two to make a bargain, Mr. Powers. Ever since my mother died you have tried to rule over me with a rod of iron. But I won't stand it. I'm going away and I'll take care of myself, until I am of age. Then I'll come back and claim what belongs to me." "Humph!" The lawyer paused for a second. "Where do you calculate to go?" he questioned, curiously. "That is my business." "Maybe you want to take that trip to the moon, or to California, eh?" "I've heard there are good chances for a boy in New York and Boston," said Mark, to throw his step-father off the scent. "Tut! tut! There are just as good chances right here in Philadelphia. Remember the old saying, 'A rolling stone gathers no moss.'" "I don't want to gather moss; I want to do as the rolling stone does, get polished," answered Mark, grimly. "If you stay in Philadelphia and behave yourself, I'll try my best to make a man of you." "Mr. Powers, we can't get along together--you know that as well as I do. Ever since mother died we have quarreled. I can't stand it any longer,--and so I am going away." "Humph!" "You can sneer if you wish--but I am going away,--and I'll do the best I can for myself." "Going away to have a good time, I suppose. As soon as your money is gone you'll be back on my hands." "No, I won't be back." "Well, you shan't go away with my money," and now the lawyer tightened his grip on his step-son's arm. "Your money?" came from Mark. "What little I have is my own." "Really?" And Jadell Powers' face took on a sour look. "Yes, really. I've only got seven dollars, but every penny of that I saved myself--out of the little spending money you allow me, and out of what I got when I sold that old sled and pair of skates I had."