The other moved uneasily, and his rather shifty eyes still refused to meet the penetrating gaze of the boy. “Mebbe I do, and again mebbe I don’t. Come and see me again, boy, and perhaps I can help you find out what you want,” he muttered, with a shake of the head, as if not wholly satisfied to speak more plainly off-hand. “But why not now? Oh! if you only knew how I lie awake nights wondering and wishing, I’m sure you’d tell me all you know, sir. It’s a terrible thing to be ignorant of who you are! No matter what my parents may have been, I’d rather know than keep on this way. Please tell me!” Ralph pleaded. “Not just now. It comes on me too sudden like. I must have time to think it over and see just where I stand. There’s more than one thing to be considered. But I’ll tell you this, Ralph, after what you’ve done for my little girl to-day I’m mighty much inclined to break my word, and speak soon.” “Then I suppose I’ll just have to wait, Mr. Smalling; but I do hope you’ll not be too long. When can I come to see you about it, sir?” Ralph went on, meaning to strike while the iron was hot. “Come to-night, then. And I reckon you can expect to hear something that will do you good. But we must get off now. I’m anxious to get Mary to town, so a doctor can look after her hand; and as for you, the sooner you drop in on that baseball game the better, I reckon,” said the man, hurrying over to where the owner of the flour mill seemed to be working. Then Ralph remembered that his time was not his own--that there would by now be a tremendous crowd assembled on the athletic grounds, watching the snappy work of the rival teams, and his absence must be causing the Columbia High players considerable anxiety, to say the least. Some of the spectators, who happened to know that Ralph was slated to go in the box in place of Frank Allen, would even be cruel enough to declare that the novice must have been attacked with a case of stage fright, and retreated from the grounds after seeing the immense throng which he would have to face. So Ralph tried to forget all his personal affairs for the time being, and think only of his duty toward his school. Now that she had found her father again, Mary seemed to be satisfied. Ralph used another spare handkerchief to make a loop in which the injured hand could be suspended; and the little girl thanked him with her bright eyes. By the time this had been done Smalling came up with the team. Ralph lifted the girl to the seat beside her father. “Come up here with us; plenty of room, Ralph,” said the man; and seeing that he spoke truly, Ralph hastened to comply, although he had been about to swing himself up behind, with his feet dangling over the tailboard. Consulting his watch, a little nickel affair costing but one dollar, he discovered that he should have been on the field before this. The rescue of Mary, and carrying her all this way, had consumed considerable time.