“Confound you,” laughed Harry, “you’re a regular--what-you-call-it--proselytist!”
“It’s an awful sounding word,” said Hansel, “and I don’t quite know what----”
There was a knock on the door, and, at Harry’s command to enter, there appeared a youth at whom Hansel gazed with interest. He was apparently of about Hansel’s age, but slighter, with a thin, pinched nose, a straight, serious, and determined mouth, too large for symmetry, rather long and very dark-brown hair, which needed trimming, and a pale face from which a pair of keen, attractive hazel eyes smiled across at Harry. He was far from handsome, but there was, nevertheless, that about him, an expression of kindliness and honesty, an atmosphere of purposeful courage and manliness that had made him one of the best-liked fellows in school. His clothes were neat but the worse for wear. The straw hat which he held had evidently seen more than one summer, his shoes were patched from heel to toe, and the very low collar, encompassed by a wispy black silk tie, threadworn and long since out of date, emphasized the length and thinness of his neck. Hansel’s first conclusion was that the fellow needed a square meal, the next that he needed several.
“Hello, Phin!” cried Harry heartily. “I’m mighty glad to see you. Where have you kept yourself since school began? By the way, you fellows haven’t met, have you? Phin, this is Mr. Dana; Mr. Dorr--Mr. Dana. Dana’s in your class, Phin; just entered. I want you to do what you can to get him into the crowd; will you?”
“I shall be very pleased to,” said Phineas Dorr, as he shook hands with Hansel, “though I don’t suppose there’s much I can do.” He had a rather deep voice which scarcely seemed to belong to such a thin body, but there was a quality to it which attracted Hansel just as it did everyone else. The three sat down, and Harry repeated his question.
“Where have you kept yourself? Why haven’t you been around?”
“Well, I’ve been rather busy, Harry. I’m boarding at a new place this year, and there was a good deal to do about the house.”
“At Mrs. Freer’s, near the Congregational church.”
“Freer’s? I thought I knew them all, but----”
“She’s a newcomer; just moved in a couple of weeks ago. The fact is, she’s from Lowell, where I live, you know; she’s a friend of ours, sort of a--a relative, you know.”