Harry dropped the conversation at this point, and a minute or two later he picked up his coat and vest, declared that he was dry enough anyway and proposed that they should continue their walk. In a few minutes he had completely recovered his good humor and offered Bruce to run him a race to the next gateway. Bruce accepted the challenge, never doubting that he could win it, but he found to his surprise that the slim, active, young New Yorker was a much fleeter runner than he was, and, do what he could, strain every nerve as he might, he reached the goal completely out of breath and fully fifty feet behind his adversary, whom he found standing by the gate post looking, as he expressed it, “as fresh as a daisy,” and laughing all over at his own success. Bruce was just a little bit annoyed to find himself so easily beaten by a lad whose appearance indicated anything but strength and agility, but when he saw how the little bit of excitement and the triumph of winning the race had restored his friends temper to its usual good-natured pitch and completely dispelled a feeling which might have culminated in a quarrel, he was rather glad on the whole that he himself had lost. Therefore he simply smiled pleasantly, and said what was perfectly true: “Well, I never thought you could run like that.” Then they sat down on the big, white marble carriage block and waited for Laura, whom they could see approaching at a leisurely pace. Bruce realized, as he looked about him, that they were not far from the Dexter mansion. In fact, by going out in the middle of the road, he could easily see the dark clump of firs and pines and the grey gate posts which guarded the entrance. As they walked along he and Laura exchanged significant glances from time to time and as they drew near to the house, he said to Harry, “That’s the house I went to for those magazines and papers that day I met you.” “Why, do you know old man Dexter?” demanded the boy with much interest. “No,” said Bruce, “except that he was very nice to me that day. Did you ever meet him?” “Not for a long while,” replied Harry. “Let’s all go into the grounds and see what the place looks like,” said Laura. “You’d better not, Laura,” said her brother, significantly, “we’ll be sure to be caught if we do, and you know perfectly well what papa said would happen if he heard of our going there.” “Well, I’ve a great mind to go in there and ask Mr. Dexter if he has any more magazines for us,” said Bruce, bravely. “I’m not afraid of those thick woods, and I’m not afraid of him either. Come along, let’s all go in there.”