of the special commendation given by his instructor in the
recitation just over; and secretly David's heart bounded with a wild
hope of taking home a prize in classics for Mamsie!

"Everything's just beautiful this term!" he hummed to himself. And then,
in a breathing space he was in his room, and there, well drawn behind
the door, was a boy with big eyes. "_Hush_" he warned.

"What's the matter?" asked David in astonishment, "and where's Joel?"

"Oh, don't speak his name; he's in disgrace. Oh, it's perfectly awful!"
The boy huddled up in a heap, and tried to shut the door.

"Who?" cried David, not believing his ears.

"Joel--oh dear! it's perfectly awful!"

"Stop saying it's perfectly awful, Bates, and tell me what's the
matter." Davie felt faintish, and sat down on the shoe-box.

Bates shut the door with a clap, and then came to stand over him,
letting the whole information out with a rush.

"He's pitched into Jenk--and they've had a fight--and they're all
blood--and the old Fox almost got 'em both." Then he shut his mouth
suddenly, the whole being told.

Davie put both hands to his head. For a minute everything turned dark
around him. Then he thought of Mamsie. "Oh dear me!" he said, coming to.

"How I wish he'd had it all out with that beggar!" exploded Bates
longingly.

David didn't say anything, being just then without words. At this
instant Joel rushed in with his bloody nose, and a torn sleeve where
Jenk in his desperation had gripped it fast.

"Oh Joel!" screamed Davie at sight of him, and springing from his
shoe-box. "Are you hurt? Oh Joey!"

"Phoo! that's nothing," said Joel, running over to the wash-basin, and
plunging his head in, to come up bright and smiling. "See, Dave, I'm all
right," he announced, his black eyes shining. "But he's a mean beggar to
steal my new racket," he concluded angrily.

"To steal your new racket that Grandpapa sent you!" echoed David. "Oh
dear me! who has taken it? Oh Joel!"

"That beggar Jenkins," exploded Joel. "But I'm to know where it is."
Just then the door opened cautiously, enough to admit a head. "Don't
speak, Pepper, but come."

Joel flung down the towel, and pranced to the door.

"No one else," said the boy to whom the head belonged.

"Not me?" asked David longingly. "Can't I come?"

"No--no one but Joe." Joel rushed over the sill tumultuously, deserting
David and the Bates boy.

"Don't speak a single word," said the boy out in the hall, putting h