t no sound was heard
save the distant whistle of the janitor.)

"I could bring another one to Joe to-morrer," said Mike, looking at his
ragged boot and scratching it along the edge of the step.

"I don't want yer to, 'f the peach was sour 'n you had ter chuck it
away," responded Joe amiably.

"Yes, I think he ought to bring the banana; he made the trade with his
eyes open, and the peach didn't look sour, for I saw you squeezing it
when you ought to have been singing your morning hymn,--I thought you
would get into trouble with it then. Now is it all right, Mike?--that's
good! And Joe, don't go poking into other people's lunch baskets. If you
hadn't done that, you silly boy," I philosophized whimsically for my own
edification, "you would have been a victim; but you descended to the
level of your adversary, and you are now simply another little rascal."

We walked down the quiet, narrow street to the corner,--a proceeding I
had intended to omit that day, as it was always as exciting as an
afternoon tea, and I did not feel equal to the social chats that would
be pressed upon me by the neighborhood "ladies." One of my good
policemen was there as usual, and saluted me profoundly. He had carried
the last baby over the crossing, and guided all the venturesome small
boys through the maze of trucks and horse-cars,--a difficult and
thankless task, as they absolutely courted decapitation,--it being an
unwritten law of conduct that each boy should weave his way through the
horses' legs if practicable, and if not, should see how near he could
come to grazing the wheels. Exactly at twelve o'clock, and again at two
each day, in rain or sunshine, a couple of huge fatherly persons in
brass buttons appeared on that corner and assisted us in getting our
youngsters into streets of safety. Nobody had ever asked them to come,
their chief had not detailed them for that special duty; and I could
never have been bold enough to suggest that a guardian of the peace with
an immaculate uniform should carry to and fro a crowd of small urchins
with dusty boots and sticky hands.

But everybody loved that Silver Street corner, where the quiet little
street met the larger noisy one! Not a horse-car driver but looked at
his brake and glanced up the street before he took his car across. The
truckmen all drove slowly, calling "Hi, there!" genially to any
youngster within half a block.

And it was a pleasant scene enough to one who had a part in it, w