A Young Hero

Dr Martin wore a close-fitting black silk cap.

Why?

Well, the answer to the old riddle, "Why does a miller wear a white hat?" is, "To keep his head warm."

That answer would do for a reply to the question why this grey, anxious-looking Dr Martin wore a close-fitting black silk cap as he sat poring over an old book opposite Phil Carleton, who also bent over a book; but he was not reading, for he had a pencil in his fingers and a sheet of paper covering one page, upon which sheet he was making notes.

Not a single one, for Phil was not far enough advanced for such work as that. He was drawing, after a fashion, and very busily, when the old Doctor, his tutor, suddenly looked up.

"Now, my dear boy," he said, "can you say that declension?"

Phil started and shut up the book suddenly, turning very red the while.

"Don't you know it yet?" said the Doctor, gravely.

The boy shook his head and looked terribly confused.

"Then you cannot have been studying it. What have you there?"..........