safe to remain long in the
neighborhood, and so they hurried on towards Boston. It appeared, from
Edward's story, that he and Alfred knocked a few hard peaches from a
tree, while in the garden, but they proved unfit to eat. They also
found some ripe currants, and were leisurely helping themselves, when
they heard somebody ask them what they were about. They turned, and
saw a man approaching; whereupon, without stopping to answer his
question, they leaped over the fence, and took to their heels, the man
following closely upon them. The conclusion of the race Oscar had
witnessed.

As they were walking home, and talking about various matters, Edward
suddenly gave the conversation a new turn, by inquiring:

"Boys, do you want to go into a grand speculation with me?"

"Yes, what is it?" was the response of both the others.

"We should make something handsome out of it, but we should have to run
some risk," continued Edward. "I've got the scheme all laid out, so
that I know just how to go to work. But it's no use talking about it.
I don't believe either of you have got pluck enough to go into it."

"I 've got pluck--the real, genuine article; try me, and see if I have
n't," said Alfred.

"So have I," said Oscar; "I should like to have you show me a boy
that's got more pluck than I have, when I get stirred up."

"Pooh, you don't know what pluck is, neither of you," replied Edward.
"What would you do if a policeman should nab you?"

"I should run, just as _you_ did, when the man caught you stealing
fruit," said Oscar, with a laugh. "That's a specimen of _your_ pluck,
aint it?"

"But what is the speculation you were telling about?" inquired Alfred.

"I guess I shan't tell you about it now," replied Edward. "I 'm afraid
you would n't keep it to yourselves."

"Yes we will. _I_ will at any rate," said Alfred.

"So will I," added Oscar.

"If I let you into the secret, and you should blab it out, I would n't
mind killing both of you," said Edward, with forced gravity, which he
could not long maintain, it gradually relaxing into a smile. "I mean
what I say," he added, "you needn't laugh at it."

Both the others renewed their promise to keep the matter a secret; but
Edward, after talking about his scheme a quarter of an hour longer, and
exciting the curiosity of the others to the highest point, finally
informed them that he could not let them into the secret then, but that
he would tell them all about it in a