rhouse, Dan?" said Freddy,
eagerly.

"Well, no, not exactly," answered Dan. "But she is with the Little
Sisters, which is next thing to it. And I ain't like the rest of you, I
know; and don't need Dud Fielding to tell me. But just let me get a good
start and I'll show folks what Dan Dolan can do. I'll be ready for
something better than a newsboy or a bootblack."

"O Dan, you'll never be anything like that!" said Freddy, in dismay.

"I have been," was the frank reply. "Given many a good shine for a nickel.
Could sell more papers than any little chap on the street. Was out before
day on winter mornings to get them hot from the press, when I hadn't
turned seven years old. But I ain't going back to it,--no, sir!" Dan's
lips set themselves firmly. "I'm on the climb. Maybe I won't get very far,
but I've got my foot on the ladder. I'm going to hold my own against Dud
Fielding and all his kind, no matter how they push; and I told Father
Rector that yesterday when they were plastering up Dud's eye and nose."

"O Dan, you didn't!"

"Yes, I did. I was just boiling up, and had to bust out, I guess. And when
he lectured us about being gentlemen, I told him I didn't aim at anything
like that. I wasn't made for it, as I knew; but I was made to be a man,
and I was going to hold up like one, and stand no shoving."

"O Dan!" gasped Freddy, breathlessly. "And--and what did he say?"

"Nothing," answered Dan, grimly. "But from the looks of things, I rather
guess I'm in for a ticket of leave. That's why I'm up here. Couldn't go
off without seeing you,--telling you how sorry I was I let you get that
fall off my shoulders. I oughtn't to have dared a kid like you to
fool-tricks like that. I was a big dumb-head, and I'd like to kick myself
for it. For I think more of you than any other boy in the college, little
or big,--I surely do. And I've brought you something, so when I'm gone you
won't forget me."

And Dan dived into his pocket and brought out a round disk of copper about
the size of a half dollar. It was rimmed with some foreign crest, and name
and date.

"An old sailor man gave it to me," said Dan, as he reached over to
Freddy's bed and handed him the treasure. "He was a one-legged old chap
that used to sit down on the wharf sort of dazed and batty, until the boys
roused him by pelting and hooting at him; and then he'd fire back curse
words at them that would raise your hair. It was mean of them, for he was
old and lame and sic