me to-well, I wouldn't, so he turned us both in. It was awful!" Stephen felt tears on the young face, and drew Jim closer to him. Perhaps someday he could tell him of his own school career and its disastrous end. For the moment he wanted only to comfort and love the boy in his arms, to try to soothe away some of his unhappiness.

Jim snuggled nearer, tightening his embrace. "I loved that photo you sent to Aunt Mary. You're much better looking than it is, though."

"You're a very dear little devil," murmured Stephen, and he covered Jim's mouth with his own.

They spoke little after that, but Stephen felt that the night must be radiant with his awesome happiness.

When he awoke near seven o'cock, it was to find Jim curled within his arms, his face tender and vulnerable in sleep. Gently Stephen kissed him, and Jim's eyes opened and looked at him in trust and wonder. When Jim looked at his cousin and once again gave him that enchanting smile, Stephen could enjoy its charm now in frankness and delight.

Miss Laughton was at the breakfast table when they went down.

"Good morning!" she cried. "Did you sleep well, Stephen?"

"Yes, thank you, Cousin Mary. I hope you did?"

"Oh, yes. I have all sorts of dope I can take, you know, if I can't get to sleep." She looked at her nephew. "You don't look very rested, young man. What time did you turn out your light?"

"A little past eleven, Aunt Mary," said Jim, helping himself to cream for his oatmeal.

Patty appeared with a platter of fried apples and bacon.

"Miss Mary, wen kin Ah clean up the gues' room?"

Miss Laughton looked surprised.

"Why, Patty, not until Mr. Stephen has finished his packing."

"Miss Mary, you mean Mistuh Stephen slep' in all that mess?"

Miss Laughton looked bewildered. Stephen was beginning to have an idea. He was careful not to look at Jim.

"All what 'mess,' Patty?"

"All that stuff wut Mistuh Jim tuk up there wen you wuz doin' the marketin' yestiddy afternoon."

"All what 'stuff,' Patty?" asked her mistress with some signs of impatience. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Ah mean all them rolls of wallpaper and them ladders and things wut them no-good paper hangers lef' in the cellar las' week." She eyed

Jim. "Mistuh Jim said he wuz playin' a joke."

Miss Laughton looked at her nephew. Stephen was already staring at him. Jim was eating his oatmeal with industrious innocence.

Jim had the decency to blush. Stephen, in spite of himself, thrilled at the clear skin kindling with the blood beneath it.

"It-it was just a joke on Stephen," he said lamely.

"Do you mean that you had the rudeness to play a joke on your cousin. whom you had scarcely ever met? What kind of manners are these? What sort of mess did you make of the guest room?"

Stephen intervened, trying to laugh. Somehow he had to get the kid out of this. "It's all right, Cousin Mary! It was quite funny to be shown into a room that looked as if a cyclone had hit it! I really enjoyed the joke! We had a good laugh, didn't we, Jim?" He glowered at his young lover.

"Sure. Sure, Aunt Mary! We really had a lot of fun. I feel a whole lot closer to Stephen because of my joke." He smiled that lovely smile at his cousin. Stephen wanted to mur-