led on,
half sobbing. "I must go after him and bring him home."

"Be quiet, Mollie," commanded her mother.

"Papa comes, if he knows you want him," insisted the child. "I
tell him you want him---that you cry because he went to saloon."

For an instant the mother caught her breath. Then she began to
cry bitterly. Dick and his friends wished themselves almost anywhere
else.

"It's too bad when the children get old enough to realize it,"
said the woman, brokenly. Then, of a sudden, she eyed Dick and
his chums bravely.

"Boys," she said, "I hope the time will never come when you'll
feel that it's manly to go out with the crowd and spend the evening
in drinking."

"The way we feel about it now," spoke Dick, sympathetically, "we'd
rather be dead than facing any degradation of the sort."

They were only boys, and they were strangers to the woman. Moreover,
little Mollie was looking pleadingly towards Dick, as if loath
to let him go. In her misery the young wife poured out her story
to her sympathetic listeners. Her husband had been a fine young
fellow---was still young. His drinking had begun only three months
before.

"We have our own home, more than half paid for," added the woman,
pointing to a pretty little cottage. "Tom has always been a good
workman, never out of a job. But lately he has been spending
his wages for drink. Last month we didn't make our payment on
the house. Today he got his month's pay, and promised not to
drink any more. He was going to take us into town to-night for
a good time, and we were happy, weren't we, baby? Then two of
his saloon cronies passed the house. Tom went with them, but
said he would come right back for us. He hasn't come yet, and
he won't come now until midnight. The month's pay will be gone,
and that means that the home will be gone, after a little. Boys,
I shall never see you again, and it has seemed a help to me to
talk to you. Remember, don't ever-----"

"Madam," asked Dick, suddenly, in a husky tone, "do you mind telling
us your husband's name, and the name of the place where he has
gone?"

"His name is Tom Drake, and he has gone up to Miller's place,"
answered Mrs. Drake. "But why do you ask? What-----"

"Mrs. Drake," Dick continued, earnestly, "we don't want to be
meddlers, and we'll keep out of this, if you request it. But
the child has given me an inspiration that I could help you.
If you authorize me, I'll go to Miller's and see if I c