r swollen eyes,
and remember that I'd had a hand in parting her from her boy. It
isn't as if I were paid for doing such things, as Chief Wambold is;
this is hardly any business of mine, you know, and I've concluded to
keep my hands off."

"Well, now, somehow I don't just look at it the way you do, Hugh.
Perhaps I'm not quite so tender-hearted as you are. It may be the
best thing that ever happened to Tip if he is sent to the Reform
School before he plunges any deeper into the mire of crime. Plenty
of boys have become fine men after being sent there, to be taught
what it should have been the duty of their careless or incompetent
parents to put into their heads."

"Do you mean that you might take a notion to drop a hint to the
Chief, Thad?"

"I'll think it over, and decide later," the other told him. "Perhaps
I'll ask advice of Dominie Pettigrew, who's a good friend of mine,
and would tell me what my duty was, not only to Tip, but to the
community at large, which he had so flagrantly abused time and again."

"Suit yourself about that, Thad. Perhaps, after all, you may be
right, and that it would be a good thing all around if Tip could be
sent away with Leon. But it's likely Leon will weaken when his trial
comes off, and betray his pal; though he may give Tip a hint
beforehand so he can clear out in time."

"And about Nick Lang?" continued Thad.

"I haven't changed my mind about him, as yet," Hugh replied sturdily
enough. "So far Nick seems to be minding his own business, and
having as little to do with other boys as possible. I heard Dr.
Carmack say he was astonished at the difference in Nick's work in
classes. He seemed particularly pleased, too, because, with all the
other teachers, he's had a hard time with Nick in the past."

"But in all the days we've practiced our hockey work Nick hasn't once
joined the scrub team we've fought against. That's why we've been
able to lick them so easily, I guess, Hugh. That fellow certainly is
a wizard on runners, and would make a good addition to our Seven, if
by some chance he could be squeezed in. But one of the Regulars
would have to be dropped, and I think there would be some bad blood
shown if anyone had to give way to a fellow who's had such a bad
reputation in the past. Even now lots of people think he's only
shamming reform for some deep purpose."

"Lots of people are due for a surprise, then, let me tell you," said
Hugh. "But, of course, just as you