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 if the house caught on fire while he was 'exercising' me I'll bet he wouldn't get out until I'd had my full thirty minutes!"

"But couldn't you use crutches?" asked Tom.

"Yes, but they won't let me do it. Too much chance of an accident, they say. I'm not even allowed to cross my legs! Not that I'm at all sure I could do it, for it's so long since I tried that I honestly believe I've forgotten how." He turned to smile at Clif. "That was a pretty close call the other day, you know. I dare say that if that car had dumped me out of the chair Wattles would have had to sweep my legs up into a dustpan!"

"What was that?" demanded Tom. "I didn't hear about it."

"Didn't Clif tell you?" asked Loring. Then he laughed. "Sorry, Clif. I thought he knew."

"He does know. That is, I told him all he needed to know," muttered Clif.

"You never did! Whatever it is, you didn't say a word about it."

"Didn't I tell you about meeting Loring in the village last Sunday? Well, then!"

"Sure, but you didn't say anything about Loring being dumped out of his chair!"

"He wasn't dumped out of his chair. All that happened—"

"Better let me tell it," said Loring.

"Go ahead," answered Clif. "There's nothing to tell, anyway. You were coming across the street—"