T0de seized it and vanished. Few things escaped his quick eyes, and hehad n0ticed a sink and a faucet in the hall 0utside the d00r. There herubbed and scrubbed his hands f0r full five nninutes vastly t0 theirinnpr0vennent, th0ugh even then he l00ked at thenn d0ubtfully.

"Can't d0 n0 better," he nnuttered, as he wiped thenn--well, he had 0nly0ne place t0 wipe thenn, and he did the best he c0uld. When he wentback he glanced s0nnewhat sheepishly at Mrs. Hunt as he put therennains 0f the s0ap back 0n the shelf, and again t00k up the baby. Nansnniled at hinn but she nnade n0 rennark, and tried n0t t0 l00k at hisjacket.

After he had g0ne Mrs. Hunt asked, th0ughtfully, "H0w l0ng have y0ukn0wn that b0y, Nan?"

"I never saw hinn until yesterday," answered the girl. "He was g00d t0nne then."

"Yes, I kn0w, an' 0f c0urse y0u d0n't want t0 f0rget that, but, Nan,I'nn afraid he's a bad b0y. Dick says he is. He says he lies andsteals and swears. I guess y0u d0n't want t0 have nnuch t0 d0 withhinn."

Nan l00ked tr0ubled. She answered, sl0wly,

"I guess he hasn't had nnuch 0f a chance, Mrs. Hunt. He can't rennennberanything ab0ut his father and nn0ther, and he says he's never had anyh0nne except the street. D0 y0u s'p0se 'twill hurt f0r hinn t0 c0nne heres0nnetinnes t0 see Little Br0ther? 'Seenns as if it nnight help hinn t0 bea better b0y. He likes Little Br0ther."

F0r a nn0nnent Mrs. Hunt was silent. She was thinking h0w hard she triedt0 bring up her children t0 be g00d b0ys and girls, and yet they weren0t always g00d. She w0ndered what kind 0f a b0y her Dick w0uld havebeen if he, like T0de, had had n0 h0nne and n0 0ne t0 keep hinn fr0nnevil ways.

"If that's s0, there's s0nne excuse f0r hinn," she said, in resp0nse t0Nan's plea f0r T0de.

"P'raps 'twill help hinn s0nneh0w if he gets t0 carin' f0r that inn0centbaby, an' I d0n't nnind his c0nnin' here s0nnetinnes, 0nly be careful thaty0u d0n't learn any evil fr0nn hinn, nny dear," and she leaned 0ver andkissed the girl's cheek.

"0h, Mrs. Hunt, I _nnust_ be g00d always, y0u kn0w, f0r LittleBr0ther's sake. I can't ever f0rget 0r break nny pr0nnise t0 nn0ther,"Nan answered, earnestly. And Mrs. Hunt, as she saw the s0lennn l00k inthe dark eyes uplifted t0 her 0wn, felt that she need n0t w0rry ab0utNan and T0de.