place in the widow's garden. Mrs.
Haddon quite understood what it meant when Peterson entered with Dick in
custody.

'Good day, Mrs. Haddon,' said the big man gingerly. 'O' course you know
all 'bout the trouble o' those goats.'

'Made by you stupid men, mostly,' said Mrs. Haddon.

Peterson stammered and appealed to Cann--he had not expected argument.

'What we men did, ma'am,' said Cann, 'was to protect our property. If the
goats hadn't bin brought here there wouldn't 'a' bin any need fer that.
Not to mention garden robbin' before, an' broken fences an' such.'

'The School Committee, ma'am,' said Peterson, 'has drawed up a list of
suspects, an' the fathers of the boys named will lambaste 'em all
thorough. Now it occurred to the committee that your boy, bein' the worst
o' the pack, an' havin' confessed, oughter get a fair share o' the
hammerin'.'

'An' you've come to offer to do it?'

'That's just it, ma'am, if you'll be so kind.'

Mrs. Haddon had a proper sense of her public duties, a due appreciation
of the extent of Dick's wickedness, and a full knowledge of her own
inefficiency as a scourger. She looked down and debated anxiously with
herself, carefully avoiding Dick's eye, and Dick watched her all the
time, but did not speak a word or make a single plea.

'Can't I beat my own boy?' she asked angrily.

'To be certain sure, ma'am, but you're a small bit of a woman, an' it
don't seem altogether square dealin' fer the others to get a proper
hidin' an' him not. 'Sides, 'twould satisfy public feelin' better if one
of us was to lam him. Sound, ma'am, but judicious,' said Cairn.

'Au' 'twould save you further trouble,' added Peterson. ''Twould ease the
mind o' Mrs. Ben Steven.' This latter was a weighty argument. Mrs.
Haddon's terror of the big woman with the terrible tongue was very real.

'Well, well, well,' she said pitifully. 'You--you won't beat him
roughly?'

'I'm a father, as you know, ma'am,' said Peterson, 'an' know what's a
fair thing by a boy.'

Cann was unbuckling his belt, and the widow stood trembling, clasping and
unclasping her hands. It was a severe ordeal, but public spirit
prevailed. Mrs. Haddon turned and fled into the house, and shutting
herself in her bedroom buried her head in the pillows and wept.

Ten minutes later she was called out, and Dick was delivered into her
hands.

'Better lock him up fer the night,' said Peterson, looking in a puzzled
way at Dick.

The boy bad not sh