ispered. "It's something worse."

"O, I know, old fellow. You're thinking about your father and mother.
But you're not seriously hurt, the nurse told me. Father Boone has been
around to see your folks, and he has made them feel all right."

"It's something worse than that," answered Daly. "If I told you, you'd
cut me dead, and so would the other fellows."

"Come now, old chap, you are not yourself. You've nothing to worry over.
You're a guy that's got sand."

This had a reassuring effect on Bill. A doctor or a nurse might
compliment him, but what do they know? But when a boy tells you you have
"sand," that's different!

Frank was soon relating to him the fall into the net--the first account
Daly had heard of it. Frank went on to tell about the ambulance and
Father Boone, and the priest's visit to his parents, and again how the
priest came late at night and went up to see him, his kind words to his
mother, and finally his sending her home in the taxi. It all seemed like
a movie to Daly.

For some time he lay perfectly quiet. Then, although it cost him a deal
of pain, he reached for Frank's hand and grasped it firmly. Their eyes
met. Bill felt a great yearning to tell Frank everything. He had fully
determined to tell only Father Boone. Even that would be hard. But now
he really wanted to tell Frank. It would be such a relief!

While they were still grasping hands, he began, pausing after each
sentence and speaking with an effort:

"Mulvy, I'm a cur . . . don't stop me . . . I'm worse . . . Let me go on
. . . please . . . I've got to get this off my mind or bust . . . I'm
bad, clean through, but from now on, never again . . . You've got a good
home. . . . You don't know what mine was . . . drunkenness, fights and
the like . . . I've lived in the streets . . . nothing but roughnecks
. . . became the worst of the lot . . . My Dad was sent to jail . . . Ma
and me were in a bad way . . . no money for rent or food . . . Somehow
Father Boone turned up . . . helped us out . . . Then he got me a job
. . . After that he put me in the Club . . . I didn't fit there . . .
You know that . . . Something you don't know . . . I hated the bunch
because they were decent . . . picked a fight with you . . . You licked
me . . . yes you did . . . I had to clear out . . . But I was yellow and
a thug . . . I fought underhand against you all . . . I did the meanest
thing out."

At this point Frank tried to remonstrate with him, but at th