Tom always ate his luncheon with the men. He enjoyed this, and it left his conscience clear in the matter of dining with Ferris and Audry in the cottage each night. One and all, the workers took his affiliation with the “executive mansion” kindly enough. They seemed not to think it strange that he should make his headquarters there. It would have been an unreasonable person indeed who could have thought ill of Tom. He was so simple and so friendly with all, that he soon became a general favorite. If the men thought of his identity with the cottage at all they probably thought of it good-humoredly in the light of his ready submission to the charms of Audry Ferris. He was rather younger than the rest of them. “They treat me pretty fine, I’ll say that,” he observed to Ned Whalen one day at work. “All the world loves a lover,” said Ned Whalen. “What do you mean by that?” Tom snapped. “I mean all the world loves a diligent pupil. That better?” “I’d like to know what you mean by that?” “Don’t you approve of a good pupil? When I went to school—” “Yes, that’s always the way you change things around,” Tom said impatiently. “You make it sound as if you mean something else. No wonder they say you’re sarcastic.” “They? You’re not such a good pupil after all. You don’t know the singular from the plural.” “Well, _she_ then,” snapped Tom. “And I admit she’s a mighty smart girl. She’s forgotten more than I ever knew, that’s sure.” “She’s the forgetful kind, huh?” “Why look at the books she reads,” said Tom. “_Good Citizenship_ and _Character Building_ and all things like that. I haven’t got brains enough to understand them—I admit it.” “Arbor building is more in your line, huh?” “There you go again.” “I’m just saying that you made a good job of the little shrine in the forest. Looks pretty neat, huh?” They were sitting each on one of the two rustic seats, lolling for a few minutes before going home for the day. “We ought to fell another tree and saw the trunk in half and lay the two pieces side by side over that space right there. It’ll be muddy there in the spring and fall. What d’you say?” “To-morrow,” said Tom. “Any time,” said Whalen. “And another thing,” said Tom. “I seem to be in for it,” laughed Whalen. “No, but you speak of this place as if I planned it and built it. It’s just as much your work as mine. That’s always the way you talk before the bunch. Didn’t you suggest the seats? Who said about having thatch on the top?” “Guilty,” said Ned. “Well then,” concluded Tom. “You’d better not spring that stuff up at the cottage,” said Ned. “No? Why not? You’re just as good a friend of mine as—as—” “Fairgreaves?” “As anybody,” said Tom coloring. “I’ve learned more from you than you could ever learn from me, that’s sure. And look at your war record—Reims, Verdun, the Marne—Why, I haven’t even got a wound.” “I’m sorry,” said Whalen.