going along the
street, two boys yelled at him and called his father bad names. Willie
liked his dad, even if he was in jail, because he knew what a good
father he was once.

"When the boys yelled at Willie, he got afraid and ran. But they ran
after him. I suppose if he stood, they wouldn't have chased him. They
caught him and beat him. He tried to get away and then he struck out.
You see, Father, Willie was a big boy for his age, and very strong. He
takes after me. But he never knew his strength. Well, this time he just
struck out. He knocked one of the boys down, gave another a fine black
eye, and both of them took to their heels. It soon got around that my
Willie was a terror. All the boys got afraid of him. He had his own way
after that in every gang, and he got into a lot of scrapes, but he was
always good to his mother.

"When his father got out of jail, he was surprised to see the difference
in Willie. Well, to make a long story short, the father has been
drinking ever since, and that's nearly eight years ago, and my heart is
broken. If it were not for little Willie, I don't know what I'd do."

The priest was a good listener. Although this was but another of the
many similar stories which he had heard, there was something pathetic in
the mother's pride, and in her love of Willie.

The home explained itself now. Poor woman. Discouraged and without
sufficient means, she had drifted and the home had drifted with her, and
Willie too.

Just then footsteps were heard, and as the door opened Bill stood there.
He was amazed on seeing the priest. It flashed on him that he was found
out but he didn't want his mother to know. He made a sign to the priest
to say nothing for the present. Father Boone understood it at once and
was glad to see this consideration of the boy for his mother, although
it didn't tell him how much Bill knew of the Club mystery.

Daly was a shrewd lad, and after his mother withdrew, he kept his
composure. He had to find out first how much the priest knew. Was it
just the fight he came to see about or the wreckage? And how could he
handle it so that even if everything came out, Father Boone would not
cause him the loss of the job he had got him? Bill decided to fence as
cleverly as possible and not tell a bit more than he had to. The priest
began.

"Well, William, I hope you are not ill. I've missed you from the Club
the past few nights?"

"O, I'm all right," answered Bill.

"Have you any