se it with a kiss of unselfish good-will,
for, though the girls did not know it then, they had adorned themselves
with pearls more precious than the waxen ones they decked their Princess
in.

Chapter XI. "Down Brakes"

The greatest people have their weak points, and the best-behaved boys
now and then yield to temptation and get into trouble, as everybody
knows. Frank was considered a remarkably well-bred and proper lad, and
rather prided himself on his good reputation, for he never got into
scrapes like the other fellows. Well, hardly ever, for we must confess
that at rare intervals his besetting sin overcame his prudence, and he
proved himself an erring, human boy. Steam-engines had been his idols
for years, and they alone could lure him from the path of virtue. Once,
in trying to investigate the mechanism of a toy specimen, which had its
little boiler and ran about whistling and puffing in the most delightful
way, he nearly set the house afire by the sparks that dropped on the
straw carpet. Another time, in trying experiments with the kitchen
tea-kettle, he blew himself up, and the scars of that explosion he still
carried on his hands.

He was long past such childish amusements now, but his favorite haunt
was the engine-house of the new railroad, where he observed the habits
of his pets with never-failing interest, and cultivated the good-will
of stokers and brakemen till they allowed him many liberties, and were
rather flattered by the admiration expressed for their iron horses by a
young gentleman who liked them better even than his Greek and Latin.

There was not much business doing on this road as yet, and the two
cars of the passenger-trains were often nearly empty, though full
freight-trains rolled from the factory to the main road, of which this
was only a branch. So things went on in a leisurely manner, which gave
Frank many opportunities of pursuing his favorite pastime. He soon knew
all about No. 11, his pet engine, and had several rides on it with Bill,
the engineer, so that he felt at home there, and privately resolved that
when he was a rich man he would have a road of his own, and run trains
as often as he liked.

Gus took less interest than his friend in the study of steam, but
usually accompanied him when he went over after school to disport
himself in the engine-house, interview the stoker, or see if there was
anything new in the way of brakes.

One afternoon they found No. 11 on the si