not acquaint his mother with the attempt that had been made
to rob him. He merely told of his visit and of the sad plight of the
little bootblack.

"I would like to have helped him, mother," Luke concluded. "If we
hadn't been robbed of that money father sent us----"

"We could afford the luxury of doing good," said his mother, finishing
the sentence for him.

Luke's face darkened with justifiable anger.

"I know it is wrong to hate anyone, mother," he said; "but I am afraid
I hate that man Thomas Butler, whom I have never seen."

"It is sometimes hard to feel like a Christian, Luke," said his
mother.

"This man must be one of the meanest of men. Suppose you or I should
fall sick! What would become of us?"

"We won't borrow trouble, Luke. Let us rather thank God for our
present good health. If I should be sick it would not be as serious as
if you were to become so, for you earn more than twice as much as I
do."

"It ought not to be so, mother, for you work harder than I do."

"When I get a sewing machine I shall be able to contribute more to the
common fund."

"I hope that will be soon. Has Bennie gone to bed?"

"Yes, he is fast asleep."

"I hope fortune will smile on us before he is much older than I. I
can't bear the idea of sending him into the street among bad boys."

"I have been accustomed to judge of the newsboys by my son. Are there
many bad boys among them?"

"Many of them are honest, hard-working boys, but there are some black
sheep among them. I know one boy who tried to commit highway robbery,
stopping a person whom he had seen with money."

"Did he get caught?"

"No, he failed of his purpose, and no complaint was made of him,
though his intended victim knew who his assailant was."

"I am glad of that. It would have been hard for his poor mother if he
had been convicted and sent to prison."

This Mrs. Walton said without a suspicion that it was Luke that the
boy had tried to rob. When Luke heard his mother's comment he was glad
that he had agreed to overlook Tom's fault.

The next morning Luke went as usual to the vicinity of the Sherman
House, and began to sell papers. He looked in vain for Tom Brooks, who
did not show up.

"Where is Tom Brooks?" he asked of one of Tom's friends.

"Tom's goin' to try another place," said the boy. "He says there's too
many newsboys round this corner. He thinks he can do better somewheres
else."

"Where is he? Do you know?"

"I seed him near th