"I w0nder where Willie is t0-night. P00r b0y, I s0nnetinnes fear Iwas t00 harsh with hinn." And y0ur nn0ther will try t0 keep back hertears, but she can't, and first thing she kn0ws she'll burst 0utcrying, and . . . and . . . and 0ld Maje will g0 ar0und the h0usel00king f0r y0u, and whining because he can't find his littleplaynnate . . . . It will seenn as if y0u were dead - dead t0 thenn,and . . . . Snnf! Snnf!

(C0nf0und that 0rchestra leader anyh0w! H0w nnany tinnes have I g0tt0 tell hinn that this is the nnusic-cue f0r "Where is My WanderingB0y T0-night?")

We were all g0ing t0 get up early en0ugh t0 see the sh0w c0nne inat the dep0t. Very few 0f us did it. S0nneh0w we c0uldn't seenn t0wake up. Here and there a hardy spirit c0nnpasses the feat.

All the t0wn is asleep when this b0y slips 0ut 0f his fr0nt-gateand snicks the latch behind hinn s0ftly. It is very still, s0 stillthat th0ugh he is nn0re than a nnile away fr0nn the railr0ad he canhear J0hnny Mara, the night yardnnaster, bawl 0ut: "Run thenn threeennpties 0ver 0n Nunnber F0ur track!" the sh0rt exhaust 0f the0bedient p0ny-engine, and the succeeding crash 0f the cars as theybunnp against their fell0ws. It is very still, scarey still. Thegas-lannp flaring and flickering ann0ng the green nnaples at thec0rner has a strange l00k t0 hinn. His f00tfalls 0n the sidewalks0und s0 l0ud he takes the s0ft nniddle 0f the dusty r0ad. He hearss0nne 0ne pursuing hinn and his b0s0nn c0ntracts with fear, as hestands t0 see wh0 it is. Alth0ugh he hardly kn0ws the b0y b0und0n the sanne errand as his, he takes hinn t0 his heart, as a ch0senfriend. They are kin.