his pride, and his hope.

"But I'd like t' learn more things 'bout scouts," he told the leader.
"Is all I have t' do jus' git strong and grow t' be twelve?"

"Steady, old man!" counseled Mr. Perkins.

He failed to see, he said, that Johnnie's teeth looked any whiter. He
acted almost as if he doubted Johnnie's use of the brush. Luckily
Johnnie remembered that meeting which Cis had proposed, and this served
to change the subject. By advice from Cis, later on, he was insured
against Mr. Perkins's being so disappointed again. Cis gave him some
powder; and he got fair results from her old brush.

So far as he was concerned, the meeting between Cis and Mr. Perkins
proved utterly profitless. To begin with, in his pride and excitement,
he forgot to follow out her instructions regarding the introduction.
Instead of pronouncing the two names politely, he ran to Cis, and "Here
he is!" he cried. "This is him! Mister Perkins!"

She stood against the hall door, smiling shyly. Mr. Perkins rose,
looking more red than brown, and gave her a soldierly bow, though that
day he was not wearing a uniform, but a gray business suit.

"I'm so glad to meet you," he said. "Johnnie's told me so much about
you."

"I--I've got to go right back," was what she said. "Two of the girls 're
waiting for me downstairs."

"Aw, Cis!" pleaded Johnnie. "Wait! Ain't y' goin' t' exercise with us?"

She went. And though she darted a smile at their visitor, to Johnnie she
seemed all indifference, and he was staggered by it; only to be more
than gratified by her complete change of attitude when she got home at
suppertime. "Oh, he's handsome!" she declared. "My! The girls wouldn't
believe how noble and splendid he is! He just can't be as young as you
say, Johnnie, because he's been a soldier in the big war! I know it by
that little button-thing in his coat! Oh, Johnnie, he's nicer than you
said! Thousands and thousands of times!"

Johnnie swaggered a bit over that. "_All_ my friends is nice," he
observed. "Only I wish I could have One-Eye and Mr. Perkins here both at
the same time!"

He had to give a minute account of Mr. Perkins's visit, and not once,
but as often as he could manage to go over the subject before Big Tom
came in. After supper, as they hung in the window together, looking up
at the night sky, he had to review all previous visits, as well as that
memorable, history-making meeting under the Elevated.

"He's like a young gentleman in a sto