"Mother, I've engaged a new boy. His name is Pete. He is here for general utility. He is very willing."
Mrs. Barry gazed in disapproval at the quaint, clean figure in his brand-new clothes. Pete's rough hands constantly twirled his straw hat.
"You should have asked me," she said. "We don't need any more help."
Ben put his arm around her and drew her close to him. "Yes, we do," he replied cheerfully, "down at Keefeport. Pete will go there and keep things in shape. You will wonder how you ever got along without him; but I need him first. He was one of the hands at the Carder farm—has been there from a child and he knows more about his master's devilment than anybody else."
"Ben!" His mother looked up reproachfully into the young fellow's happy eyes. "Why did you need to risk your life again—"
"Oh, not a bit of that," laughed Ben. "I picked Pete out of a grocery store—"
"Where is she, Master?" The voice of the boy was pleading again.
"Pete was a good friend to Miss Melody, the only one she had, and now his reward is going to be to see her."
"You don't mean," exclaimed Mrs. Barry, "that you have spent a couple of days to get this boy and dress him up in order to allow him to see Miss Melody?"
"No, not exactly. I kidnapped him as an information bureau."