ving eyes in the back of
his head, saw something directly behind him. No less than four of the
seven McGillicuddy boys were altar boys, wearing little red cassocks
and white surplices in church. They were supposed to leave the
cassocks and surplices in the sacristy, but Ignatius McGillicuddy, aged
ten, had sneaked out of the sacristy, still wearing his red cassock,
and, seeing the chaplain passing out of the gate, thought it safe to
begin an elaborate skirt dance, in his cassock, and making many fancy
steps, with much high kicking, while the skirt of his cassock waved in
the air. In the midst of his final pirouette, he caught the chaplain's
stern glance fixed on him. Instantly Ignatius appeared to turn to
stone, and the vision of a switch, wielded by Mrs. McGillicuddy's
robust arm, passed before his eyes. He was immensely relieved when the
chaplain said, grimly:

"Ten pages of catechism next Sunday."

Kettle went home and was very solemn all day. Not even the
After-Clap's pranks could make him smile, nor were the After-Clap's
orders always orders to him that day. In the late afternoon Mrs.
Fortescue, seeing Kettle seated in a corner of the back hall, and
evidently in an introspective mood, asked him:

"What's been the matter with you all day, Kettle?"

"I'm a-seekin', Miss Betty," Kettle replied solemnly.

"What are you seeking?" Mrs. Fortescue inquired.

"Seekin' light, Miss Betty," answered Kettle. "I'm seekin' light on my
duty to my country, arter the chaplain done preached to-day."

"Glad to hear it," responded Mrs. Fortescue. "Your duty at present is
to look after the baby and me."

"Gord knows I does the bes' I kin," replied Kettle, raising his eyes,
full of faith and love and simplicity, to Mrs. Fortescue's. "But the
chaplain, he say we orter fight for our country; maybe at this heah
very minute I orter be a-settin' on a hoss, a-shootin' down the enemies
of my country."

"Well, Kettle," said Mrs. Fortescue, laughing, "as you can't ride and
you can't shoot, I don't think you will ever do much damage to the
enemies of your country."

Mrs. Fortescue passed on, laughing. But some one else had heard
Kettle. This was Sergeant Halligan, a chum of Sergeant McGillicuddy,
who had stopped at the Commandant's house on an errand. Sergeant
Halligan, seeing no one around in that part of the house, winked to
himself, and went up to "the naygur," as he, like Sergeant McGillicuddy
called Kettle.

"I say