“But you don’t mean to say that you belong to the fire department, do you?” exclaimed Harry excitedly. “Yes, I’ve been on the force pretty near three months,” answered Bruce proudly. “My, but you’re a lucky chap,” cried his companion. “I just wish my father would let me join, but he won’t let me do anything I want to. I never have any fun anyway; there’s nothing to do in this stupid old place, except to go riding on my pony, and once in a while have a sail on the Sound. There are no other boys for me to play with—that is, none that I like—and I have to go in the house every night at six and stay there till bedtime. I suppose you have all the fun in the world getting up in the middle of the night and going to fires, and driving like mad through the streets. Say, why can’t you let me go out with you some time.” But Bruce shook his head dubiously, he was willing to have the boy imagine that he himself was one of the leading members of the company, and he wished moreover to impress him with the idea that it was no easy matter for a young boy to become a member of the New York Fire Department. “I’m afraid,” he said, “that you’d find it very difficult to get an appointment. I believe I’m the youngest member of the whole department, and I know I never would have been taken on, if it hadn’t been on account of my father, who was a fireman before me.” “And is your father on the department yet?” demanded Harry. “No,” replied Bruce with a little choking sound in his voice, “he was killed at a fire some months ago and then they gave me a position on account of him.” “Your father was killed at a fire? Oh I’m awfully sorry!” exclaimed Harry, who was an impulsive and warm-hearted, although somewhat spoiled boy, “but I’m going to tell my father about you, and ask him if you can’t come up and visit me some time. Here’s our entrance; just drive me down to the side door will you please, and I’ll get one of the servants to help me up stairs.” Bruce helped his new friend to alight and then a man servant appeared in answer to his ring, and on learning that his young master was hurt, started off in much alarm in quest of the private tutor, but was called back imperiously by young Master Harry and ordered to “lend a hand” in getting him into the house. As Bruce turned to leave, the boy held out his hand in a frank, straightforward way that was very agreeable and said, “I’m very much obliged to you for bringing me home, and now that I’ve got your address I’m going to write and ask you to come up and see me. My father will be mad enough when he comes home and finds what’s happened to me, because he told me I wasn’t to go off the grounds to-day. But he’ll come around all right in a week then we’ll have fun together.”