"

"I hope he does," added Frank.

They went down to the crowd which was now all together. The fellows did
not expect to see Daly, but some of them thought that he might show up
to brave it out. When Father Boone came in, smiling as usual, a word for
this lad, and that, a tap for Jack and a handshake for Tommy and Willie
and John, no one would ever have suspected that he knew anything out of
the ordinary.

Generally on entering, after greeting the boys, he went to his office
and straightened out the details of the preceding day. After that he
would circulate among the boys, asking one if his father got the job he
recommended him to, another how his mother was, a third what his marks
were for the last school month, and so on. He knew them all, and all
about them. He was their big brother. In his presence there was no
restraint. He knew them so well, and they understood him so well, that
he was like one of them. If a dispute were on, and he came in, it went
on just the same. He knew boys and loved them, and they realized it.

He was wise enough to know that boys are boys. That was the secret of
his success. The result was that he could do anything with them. A word
from him and they would leave off what most pleased them. A suggestion
from him and they would do what was hardest and ordinarily most
disagreeable. Very kind he was, also firm as a rock. And they knew it.
He never went back on his word, as they knew by experience. The
consequence was that with very few words, he accomplished what he wanted
done.

This evening he looked around at the crowd. There was something the
matter. That was evident. He knew he could find out by asking but he
never did that. He began now to observe. There was a restraint evident
among the boys. That was unusual. Not so much hilarity. He ran his eye
over the crowd. He could see at a glance, just who was and who was not
present. Daly was always conspicuous, because he was so noisy, but Daly
was not among those present tonight. Usually the boys were scattered,
some in one room, some in another. Not so tonight. They were all in the
same room. Generally they were interested in the games. Tonight they
seemed to be interested in him. Putting things together, he concluded
that the crowd as a crowd was in the mix-up, and that the boys were on
the lookout for something to happen. Frank sat off in a corner looking
pensive. That was not his way.

Poor Frank was in torture. He was hoping that F