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 CHAPTER XIV

A PERFECTLY GORGEOUS IDEA

Ned and Bob were watching Thomas, the man-of-all-work, rolling the cinder surface of the new tennis-court. Theirs was a pleasant occupation for such a morning, and Laurie joined them where they sat on a pile of posts and boards that had once been a grape-arbor and that had been removed to make way for the court.

"What happened to you?" asked Ned. "Thought maybe they'd had you arrested. Bob and I were just talking of pooling our resources and bailing you out."

"I found I had nearly ninety cents," said Bob proudly.

"No, they were all right about it," replied Laurie musingly. Then he lapsed into silence, staring thoughtfully at Thomas as he paced to and fro behind the stone roller.

"What do you think of it?" asked Bob, nodding at the court.