it's all very
well for you to hide behind honor. Any of us could get out of a bad hole
that way."

"That means that you think I am lying?" questioned Frank, his eyes
fairly aglow.

"It means what you want to make of it," snapped Gibney.

Frank jumped from his place to get at Gibney. Dick got in between the
two, but found it more than he could do to restrain Frank. As blows were
on the point of being exchanged, steps were heard on the stairs, and the
boys signalled that Father Boone was on the way down. At his approach,
the boys assumed a more or less quiet posture. Not so Frank. He stood
just where he was and as he was. His fists were clenched, his whole
frame was trembling with excitement, and his face was determined and
pale.

Father Boone took in the situation at a glance. He appeared, however,
not to see the impending fight. Beckoning to Ned, he said, "I want you
and four or five boys to help me unpack something upstairs." He knew
that this interruption would give all a breathing spell, and stop
further animosity. Then like a flash, it occurred to him to settle the
whole thing then and there.

"Boys," said he, "your shouts and some of your talk have reached me
upstairs. I am very much hurt over this affair, and I know, from what
has happened, that most of you feel as I do. I caught some of the words
between Gibney and Mulvy. They reveal a lot to me. First of all,
apparently, what has happened was not the work of the crowd, but of a
few only and you are as much mystified as I am. I am glad to know that
the Club as a whole is not implicated. But a bad report has gone through
the parish in regard to that occurrence, and I am bound, in duty to the
parish and in devotion to you, to clear up the matter.

"And so I say now to you all, what I have already said by that notice, I
ask the boys who perpetrated that rowdyism or who know anything about
it, to stand out and declare themselves!"

Not a boy moved. After a moment's silence, Frank came forward and stood
before the priest. "Well, Frank, have you anything to say?"

"Only what I said to you upstairs, Father."

"Do you still feel in conscience that you can say no more?"

"Yes, Father."

"Very well," replied the priest. After a pause he continued, "I do not
want any boy to act dishonorably. But there are certain cases where
justice is concerned, where the rights of many are in conflict with
those of a few, where scandal is involved, where the instrument for