"Say he's a little touched in the upper story."
"I guess he'd better be touched somewhere else," said Oscar with a loud laugh at his own wit.
Considerably to his disgust Oscar was set to work doing some of Philip's chores directly after breakfast, and it was nine o'clock before he got ready to start in quest of Philip. Even then he did not start, for an open buggy stopped at the gate, driven by a man from the village, and containing as passenger, a boy of sixteen. This boy was Mark Mason, as the reader will easily conjecture.
"Who's that, Oscar! Is it one of your friends?" asked Nahum Sprague.
"No; never saw him before in my life."
Mark advanced directly to Mr. Sprague.
"Is this Mr. Nahum Sprague?" he asked.
"Yes; that's my name."
"Does a boy named Philip Lillis live with you?"
"And what if there does?" inquired Mr. Sprague cautiously.