CHAPTER I.

THE BOY WITH A LAME BACK—THE BOY COULDN'T SIT DOWN—A PRACTICAL JOKE ON THE OLD MAN—A LETTER FROM "DAISY "—GUARDING THE FOUR CORNERS—THE OLD MAN IS UNUSUALLY GENEROUS—MA ASKS AWKWARD QUESTIONS—THE BOY TALKED TO WITH A BED SLAT—NO ENCOURAGEMENT FOR A BOY