the love of Thee, I do this. I offer Thee a bleeding heart. It
costs me much, but I am glad to give Thee what does cost so much. And,
my dear Lord, grant me the grace to give cheerfully what I give. Amen."

He arose and went out, strong and buoyant, like the martyrs who went to
the lions rejoicing. "A soldier fights for the flag," he thought, "and
does so with enthusiasm, although he may meet with wounds, capture and
death. I must fight under the standard of the Cross, and be a brave
soldier of Christ, a Knight of the Cross."

There was no school that afternoon and so he took his time getting home.
On his way, he was met by Mrs. Joyce, mother of one of the Club members.

"Aren't you that Mulvy boy?" she asked.

"Yes, Mrs. Joyce," he replied.

"I thought so," she continued. "Well, you've been found out at last."

That was all. It was a terrible lot for Frank's sensitive soul, but he
said in his heart, "For Thee, Jesus," and went bravely on. At home, a
new trial was awaiting him. His mother had been stopped on the street
several times this morning, and had received very pointed inquiries
about her boy. The last woman who addressed her had virtually insulted
her.

"Well, Mrs. Mulvy, it's too bad. Who would have thought that your boy,
Frank, would turn out so bad!"

Mrs. Mulvy had to make an effort to smile and not reply. But when she
got home, she found that she had bit her lips even to blood.

When Frank came in, doubly dear to her now, she almost lost control of
herself. She sank with a groan into the large arm chair. Frank was at
her side in a second, smothering her with kisses, and breathing out
terms of endearment to her. In a moment, she was herself again.

"Excuse me, Frank," she said, "I was all undone. But tell mother, dear,
what in the world have you done?"

Frank was brave for himself. But where his mother was concerned, it was
different. He knew now that what he had promised at the altar was going
to cost him much dearer even than he had calculated. He was strongly
tempted to make an exception in his mother's case, and to tell her all.
But he remembered his promise at the altar and how Bill himself had
said, "There's no going back on a promise to Him."

"A soldier does not quit when he gets a blow, neither will I," he
reflected. "This blow is worse because it strikes me through my mother,
but I will trust God, and do what I have promised Him. Moreover, if
mother could not trust me now, when I tell