ept guard over
Abel.

When he came to his senses, the boy found himself in the moonlight with
a dozen turns of stout fisherman's twine round his hands and ankles The
foreman stood over him, and now that the house was roused, his wife had
brought John a pair of trousers and a great coat, for he was in his
night shirt.

"You'll catch your death," she said.

"It's only by God's mercy we didn't all catch our death," he answered.
"Here's Sabina Dinnett's boy plotted to destroy the works, and we've yet
to find whether he's the tool of others, or has done the deed on his
own."

"On my own I did it," declared Abel; "and I'll do it yet."

"You shut your mouth, you imp of Satan!" cried the exasperated man. "Not
a word, you scamp. You've done for yourself now, and everybody knew
you'd come to it, sooner or later."

In half an hour Abel was locked up, and when Mr. Baggs heard next
morning concerning the events of the night, he expressed the utmost
surprise and indignation.

"Young dog! And after the friend I've been to him. Blood will tell.
That's his lawless father coming out in the wretch," he said.

CHAPTER IX

THE FUTURE OF ABEL

Issues beyond human sight or calculation lay involved in the thing that
Abel Dinnett had done. He had cast down a challenge to society, and
everything depended on how society answered that challenge. Not only did
the child's own future turn on what must follow, but vital matters for
those who were called to act hung on their line of action. That,
however, they could not know. The tremendous significance of the
sinner's future training and the result of what must now happen to him
lay far beyond their prescience.

It became an immediate question whether Abel might, or might not, be
saved from the punishment he had deserved. Beyond that rose another
problem, not less important, and his father doubted whether, for the
child's own sake, it would be well to intervene. Waldron strongly agreed
with him; but Estelle did not, and she used her great influence on the
side of intervention. Miss Ironsyde and Ernest Churchouse were also of
her opinion. Indeed, all concerned, save his mother and Arthur Waldron,
begged Raymond to interfere, if possible.

He did not decide immediately.

"The boy will be sent to a reformatory for five years if I do nothing,"
he told Estelle, "and that's probably the very best thing on earth that
can happen to him. It will put the fear of God into him and possib