aid, "I'll sit on the edge of this table."

"Certainly, Father," she replied, "until I run and get you a chair."

"No, no," he protested, "I like this much better."

So the ice was broken.

"You have got one of my little fellows inside," he continued. "How is he
getting along?"

"You mean that Daly boy?"

He nodded assent.

"Why, we are all in love with him. He is one grand boy. This morning the
doctor had to remove some loose skin from his arm, and he found that he
would have to do a little cutting of the flesh to get at some of the
skin which had become imbedded. The boy heard him say to me, 'It will
hurt him like the mischief.' The lad spoke up, 'Go ahead, Doc. If you
can stand it, I guess I can.'

"The doctor didn't want to use cocaine on it, so he took the boy at his
word. It was simply terrific, Father! We had to pull the skin out with
pincers. He just tightened his jaws, and never let out a moan. That boy
is a credit to you. He has always taken just what was given him and has
been no trouble to anybody."

As Father Boone was getting ready to reply, the doctors passed into the
next ward.

The priest went in at once to see his patient. Daly's eyes, as big as
saucers, greeted him.

"Well, that was a nice scare you gave us all, you little rascal," was
the priest's greeting. All Bill could do was grin. "They tell me there
is nothing the matter with you, that you are just a bit frightened."

"O, I don't know about the frightened part," rejoined Daly, "I guess
there was somebody else in that boat, as well as myself."

"My boy, I want to congratulate you. Not on your ladder stunt, anyone
could do that, and not fall off, either; but on your fortitude here.
True, there are no bones broken or anything like that, but you've had a
lot of acute pain to endure, and they tell me you have not whimpered.
You have given the Club a good name here. William, I am proud of you."

Poor Bill! All day long he had been fortifying his resolution to tell
Father Boone everything. But after this praise from the priest, he could
no more touch on the affair than fly. Two or three times he made an
attempt to begin, but the words stuck in his throat. They talked on a
lot of things, but after that first allusion to the Club, there did not
seem to be another opening for Bill. At last, however, he made one great
effort.

"Father," he cried out, "there is something on my mind, I must let it
out! It's got me all on fire inside. I'll