up the stairway, told of the incidents at the power plant and
added:

"Thad boasted to me that he was going to give the boys a lot more
trouble, and I watched and saw him leave the house. So I followed,
hoping to stop him, and after he shot George he ran into me and was so
angry that he struck me. I wish _I_ had had a pistol! I would have--"

"Gracie, dear little girl! You mustn't wish to kill or wound anyone! Oh,
are you _hurt_? Come, dear--"

"I'll be with you right off, me boy!" said Mr. Hooper to Gus, and
presently they were in the library alone.

"Listen to me, lad. This nevvy o' mine is me dead sister's child, an' I
swore t' her I'd do all I could fer him. His brother Bob, he's in the
Navy, a decent lad; won't have nothin' to do with Thad. An' you can't
blame him, fer Thad's a rapscallion. Smart, too, an' friendly enough to
his old uncle. But now, though, I'm done with him. I'm fer lettin' him
slide, not wantin' to put the law on him. I'll take care o' George. He
shall have the best doctor in the country, an' I'll keep him an' his
wife in comfort, but I don't want Thaddeus to be arrested. Now I reckon
he's gone an' so let luck take him--good, bad, er indifferent. Won't you
let him hit his own trail, foot-loose?"

"I'd like to see him arrested and jailed," said Gus, "but for you and
because of what you'll do for George and your being so good to Bill and
me, I'll keep mum on it."

"Good, me lad. An' now you git back to George an' tell him to keep
Thad's name out of it. I'll 'phone fer 'Doc' Little and 'Doc' Yardley,
an' have an ambulance sent fer the poor feller. Then you can tell his
wife. It means very little sleep fer you this night, but you can lay
abed late."

Gus went away upon these duties, but with a heavy heart; he felt that
Mr. Hooper, because of the very gentleness of the man was defeating
justice, and though he had been nearly forced to give his promise, he
felt that he must keep it.

CHAPTER XIX

CONSTRUCTION AND DESTRUCTION

Bill and Gus worked long hours and diligently. All that the power plant
construction had earned for Bill, the boy had turned in to help his
mother. But Mr. Grier, busy at house building and doing better than at
most other times, was able to add something to _his_ boy's earnings, so
that Gus could capitalize the undertaking, which he was eager to do.

The layout of the radio receiver outfits to be built alike were put at
first on paper, full size; plan, side