in itself that I care
about. There's a big bill for damages, but I don't give a fig for that.
It's the principle back of it all. Here--all these years, I've been
holding up high standards to them and they fall down just when they
should stand erect. I hated to call off that McCormack treat, but--what
could I do? Well, I'll have to see it through now." And at that he set
his jaws, and it was easy to realize that he would see it through.

He had hardly finished his musings when the rectory door-man came to his
room and said that a young man was below to see him. He went down and
found Dick Brian awaiting him. It was not Father Boone's nature to be at
odds with any one, and so when he came upon Dick thus unexpectedly,
forgetting for the instant that war was on between him and the club
boys, he saluted the lad wholeheartedly. The next instant, recollecting
that there was a hostile camp to deal with, he quickly tightened up and
said, "Well, my boy, what is it?"

Dick, though ordinarily very self-possessed, was not quite composed
under the circumstances. He summoned as much calm as he could and said,
"I have come, Father, to say that there must be some mistake. The boys
would not do anything to displease you. It's not the McCormack treat
that they are thinking about. It's you. Of course, they feel sore that
it is off, but they can stand that, but we don't want you to feel that
we are not grateful."

It was quite a speech even for Dick, but he got it out and every word
rang true. The director realized it, which only increased the mystery.
"If the boys were so considerate of him," he reflected, "why did they
not explain? They should know that he would do what was right in the
matter. If there were any allowances to be made, they ought to know that
he would make them. It was not as if it were an individual affair. The
whole Club was in question. A riot had occurred. And just because the
boys knew he never went about prying into things he had a right to
expect a full explanation. But Dick's speech didn't explain."

Father Boone's next remark was true to his principle of not asking for
information in such cases. "And is there anything else you wish to say?"
Poor Dick! That took his breath away. He stood silent for a moment and
when the priest turned to leave, he picked up his hat and started for
the door. But just at that moment something--was it the suggestion of a
trembling lip in the last glimpse he had of Dick's face, or j