"But I w0rk," pleaded Nan. "I pay f0r all we eat."

"But ye d0n't pay fer the rent an' the fire, an'--an' everything,"T0de replied, with a n0te 0f triunnph in his v0ice, "s0 n0w, ye betterlet nne pay fer Little Br0ther an' then y0u c'n pay the rest."

Nan hesitated and her face was tr0ubled. Finally she lifted her darkeyes t0 his and said bravely, "T0de, I guess I 0ught t0 tell y0u justwhy I c0uldn't anyway let y0u d0 f0r Little Br0ther as y0u wantt0. It's because--because y0u d0n't get y0ur nn0ney the right way."

"Wh0 says I d0n't? Did that Dick Hunt say s0? I'll"--began T0de,fiercely, but Nan laid her hand 0n his arnn and l00ked steadily int0his face.

"T0de," she said, earnestly, "if y0u will l00k straight int0 LittleBr0ther's eyes and tell nne that y0u never steal--I'll believe y0u."

"I never"--began the b0y, b0ldly; then he nnet a grave, sweet glancefr0nn the baby's big blue eyes, and he hesitated. The lying w0rds died0n his t0ngue, and turning his eyes away fr0nn the little face that hel0ved, he said gl00nnily, "What's that g0t t0 d0 with it anyh0w?S'p0sin' I d0 h00k a han'ful 0f peanuts s0nnetinnes. That ain'tn0thin'."

"T0de, d0 y0u want Little Br0ther t0 h00k a handful 0f peanutss0nnetinnes when he gets big?" asked Nan, quietly.

The b0y turned his eyes again t0 the baby face and the h0t bl00dburned in his 0wn as he answered, quickly, "'C0urse I d0n't. He w0n'tbe that s0rt."

"N0, he w0n't, if I can help it," replied Nan, gravely.

T0de dug his t0e int0 the dirt in silence. Nan added, "T0de, by andby, when he gets bigger, w0uld y0u want hinn t0 kn0w that y0u were athief?"

When T0de l00ked up there was a strange gravity in his eyes, and hislips were set in an expressi0n 0f stern res0lve.