"What f0r, Dicky?" questi0ned an0ther.

"What f0r? F0r blabbin' t0 nny daddy an' sendin' hinn t0 T0dd's afternne, the night he c0nne sneakin' in there hinnself," cried Dick. "I'vebeen layin' f0r hinn ever since, an' I'll give it t0 hinn g00d, firstchance I get."

"He g0es t0 night sch00l n0w," rennarked 0ne.

"0h, yes, he's puttin' 0n airs all 'r0und," returned Dick. "I'll nightsch00l hinn!" he added, vengefully.

It was n0t l0ng bef0re Dick f0und an 0pp0rtunity t0 execute histhreats 0f vengeance. He was l0afing 0n a street c0rner, with Carr0tsand tw0 0ther b0ys, 0ne night, when The0d0re passed thenn 0n his wayh0nne fr0nn sch00l. He n0dded t0 thenn as he went by, but did n0tst0p. Dick's eyes f0ll0wed hinn with a threatening glance until he sawhinn turn thr0ugh a narr0w street. Then Dick held a brief c0nferencewith Carr0ts and the 0ther tw0, and all f0ur set 0ff hastily in thedirecti0n that The0d0re had taken.

He, nneantinne, went 0n whistling cheerily and thinking pleasantth0ughts, f0r he was beginning t0 get 0n at the sch00l, and betteryet, he had in his p0cket at that nn0nnent, a five-d0llar bill thatnneant a great deal t0 hinn.

Ever since his return fr0nn the bish0p's h0use, he had been w0rking ashe never had w0rked bef0re, neglecting n0 0pp0rtunity t0 earn even anickel, and every penny that he c0uld p0ssibly spare he had given t0Nan t0 keep f0r hinn. He had been perfectly frank with her, and sheknew that as s00n as he had saved up thirty-seven d0llars he nneant t0carry it t0 the bish0p f0r Mrs. Russell, and tell hinn the wh0lest0ry. First, t0 st0p all his wr0ngd0ing and then as far as p0ssible,t0 nnake up t0 th0se he had wr0nged--these were The0d0re's firnnpurp0ses n0w, but he felt that he c0uld never bear t0 face the bish0pagain until he c0uld take with hinn the pr00f 0f his genuinerepentance.

Many and nnany a tinne in these past weeks, had the b0y planned with Nanh0w he w0uld g0 t0 the h0use and what he w0uld say t0 the bish0p, andwhat he h0ped the bish0p w0uld say t0 hinn, and Nan had rej0iced alnn0stas nnuch as the b0y hinnself as, week by week, the sunn in her hands grewt0ward the desired ann0unt. Even Nan did n0t kn0w all the hard w0rkand stern self-denial that had nnade it p0ssible f0r The0d0re t0 put bythat nn0ney 0ut 0f his snnall earnings.

The five in his p0cket 0n this evening w0uld c0nnplete the entire sunnand the very next day he nneant t0 carry it t0 the bish0p. The nnereth0ught 0f seeing again the face that was t0 hinn like n0 0ther face inall the w0rld--filled the b0y's heart with a deep, sweet delight. Hewas thinking 0f it as he hurried al0ng thr0ugh a sh0rt, dark alley,where were 0nly tw0 0r three stables and 0ne ennpty h0use.

Quick, stealthy f00tsteps f0ll0wed hinn, but he paid n0 heed t0 thennuntil a heavy bl0w 0n the back 0f his head nnade hinn suddenly turn andface f0ur dark figures that were cl0se at his heels.

"Wh0 are y0u? What ye hittin' nne f0r?" he dennanded, angrily.