"He isn't as nice as Neale," Dot proclaimed, loyal to the older friend, "but I like him." Mr. Howbridge chanced to call--or was it chance! At any rate, he met Luke Shepard and his sister and seemed to approve of both of them. "Your young friends are remarkably attractive, I am sure, Ruth," the lawyer said, with twinkling eyes as he was going. "Let me see, there's no danger yet of a dowry being wanted out of that idle money we are going to have--for Agnes, for instance?" Ruth blushed furiously. She was getting that habit, it seemed, of late. "I do wish, Mr. Howbridge, that you wouldn't joke so--" "On such very serious subjects?" he interposed. "It would be very serious indeed if our Agnes thought of such things. At her age!" "True. And, of course, nobody else in this house could possibly bear such a thing in mind. Good-bye, my dear. Of course, if anything should happen, let me know at once." "Oh, everything is all right now, Mr. Howbridge," said Ruth, ignoring his insinuations. "I am sure the roof will not leak now that the roofers have been here. And, as you say, the painting of the house would better go until late in the fall." He shook his finger at her as he went out of the door. "You are a very bright young lady, Ruth Kenway." "Boy," said Cecile to her brother, "you are getting in deep." "And glad of it," growled Luke, knowing full well what she meant. "But what about Neighbor?" "I am going to see Neighbor," declared the young man, looking very uncomfortable but decisive. "I'm not going to be a cad." "You couldn't be that, Luke," she told him. "Oh, yes, I could. I have been tempted," Luke said. "Tempted to do what--to say what?" "To try and make Ruth Kenway like me and let me tell her how very fond I am of her without a thought for the future, Sis." "Oh, Luke! You are looking so very far ahead." "I know it. And with the prospect I have without Neighbor's help, it would be looking very, very far indeed. I would be wrong to try to tie up any girl so long. I've fought that all out. I won't do it." "But what will you do?" asked his sister, grieving for him in both voice and look. "See Neighbor the moment we get home. I'll put it to him straight. I'll be no man's slave and for no amount of money. If he will see it in the right light I shall stop off here at Milton on my way to college, and just tell Ruth all about it." "And if Neighbor will not listen to reason?" "Then I must not speak to Ruth," the young man said bitterly, and turned abruptly away from her. "Yes. But," murmured Cecile, "will that be kind to Ruth? I wonder!" CHAPTER XIX SCHOOL BEGINS Mr. Sorber was a man of his word. Scalawag arrived at the Corner House before the end of the week. Dot had told Tess so much about the beauties of the fat little creature that the older sister could scarcely wait to see the pony.