ooks
and many sighs; and also how sister Lucy seemed to be able to walk
better lately than at any time in the past; though she did have to use a
crutch; but she hoped to be able to go to school in the fall if she
continued to improve.

Fred's name did not seem to be mentioned once by the man. Even when
Barbara told some little thing in which the boy figured, the man failed
to ask about him. His whole interest was centered in the mother, the
crippled child, and this wonderfully attractive little angel at his
side.

Jack also noticed that he had hold of Barbara's small hand, which he
seemed to be clutching eagerly. Yes, it must be the man had a daughter
of his own far away, and memories of her might be making him sorry that
he had engaged in such a disreputable business as tempting Barbara's
brother to betray his mates of the baseball team.

Then the man stopped short. He had looked around and discovered that if
he went any further he might be noticed from the side windows of the
Badger cottage. Apparently he did not wish that the child's mother
should discover him walking with her. Jack somehow felt an odd thrill
shoot through him when he saw the man suddenly bend his head and press
several kisses on the little hand that had been nestling so confidingly
in his own palm. That one act seemed to settle it in the boy's mind that
there was more or less truth in his conjecture in connection with
another Barbara in some distant city waiting for her father to come back
home.

"Say, he's acting real spoony, isn't he, Jack?" gasped Toby, taken aback
as he saw the man do this. "I reckon now, Steve, your ogre isn't
_quite_ as tough a character as you imagined. He's got a spark of
human about him, seems like, and like most Chester folks has to knuckle
down before that pretty kid."

"Oh! he may be acting that way for a purpose," grumbled the unconvinced
Steve, still unwilling to give up. "Such fellows generally have a deep
game up their sleeve, you understand. Just wait and see, that's all,
Toby Hopkins. I don't like his actions one little bit, if you want to
know how I feel about it."

Almost immediately afterwards Toby spoke again in a guarded tone.

"Look at her picking something up from among the cinders, and holding it
out! Why, it looks like a shining new fifty-cent bit, which is just what
it is. And to think we walked right over it when we came along, and not
one of us glimpsed what the sharp eyes of that child have fo