“My, it must be hard for you to be that way.  I know something about it myself,” and Miss Arabella gave a deep sigh.

“I try to forget my troubles, though, by thinking of bright things,” Whyn explained.  “And now that I have so much to do with the scouts I have scarcely any time left to think about myself.  Every night my back aches so much that I cannot sleep for several hours.  But last night I was thinking about Rod, and didn’t mind the pain hardly at all.”

“Why, what’s wrong with Rod?” the visitor inquired.  “I don’t see why you should lie awake thinking about him.”

“No, perhaps you don’t, and maybe it was foolish of me, but I couldn’t help it.  You see, it had to do with his scout suit.  Each boy must earn the money to buy his own suit, and when the scouts were talking about it, they all told how they were going to raise the money except Rod.  He didn’t say anything, and I knew by the look on his face that he hadn’t the least idea where he was going to get the money for his suit.  I felt so sorry for him.  When Rod is thinking hard he is very quiet.  He was just like that yesterday, and he didn’t even say a word to me when he left.  Oh, I wish that I could think of some way to help him.”

“Who are the other scouts?” Miss Arabella asked.

“Well, there’s Jimmy Perkins.  He’s corporal, and——­”

“Old Ezry Perkins’ son, eh?  I guess I know his pa, a mean old skinflint, if ever there was one.  But he dotes on that boy of his, and he’ll get him the suit all right.  Who else?”

“Then, there’s Tommy Bunker, the boy with a face like the full moon.”

“Yes, I know the Bunkers only too well.  Stuck up people, they are, who think they own the whole parish.  You ought to see Mrs. Bunker come into church.  She holds her head so high, and steps so big and mighty, that she thinks she’s doing the Lord a great service by coming.  Tommy’ll get his suit, never fear.  Mrs. Bunker will see to that.”

“Billy Potter comes next,” Whyn hastened to explain, “and Joe Martin, and Phil Dexter, and——­”

“There, that will do,” and Miss Arabella sniffed in a most significant manner.  “I know the whole tribe.  Nothing but trash, every one of them.  Queer scouts, I call them.  Yes, they’ll all have suits, and my, how they’ll strut around.”

“I’m afraid Rod will not get his for some time,” and Whyn sighed.  “He’s patrol leader, too, and I am sure he will feel very badly.”

“No doubt he will.  But, there, I must be off,” and Miss Arabella rose suddenly to her feet.  “Good-bye.  I’ll be over to see you again soon,” and with that, she whisked out of the room.

CHAPTER XIV

UNEXPECTED ASSISTANCE

When Miss Arabella left the Anchorage she seemed like a different person from the one who had entered it but a short time before.  Her step was quick and decisive, as if she had something important on hand.