meany, miny, mo;
Cracky, feeny, finy fo;
Ommer neutcha, popper teucha;
Rick, bick, ban, do.

"Oner-ry, oer-ry, ickery Ann;
Phyllis and Phollis and Nicholas John;
Queevy quavy, English Navy,
Stinklum, stanklum, BUCK."

"Buck" was "ole man," and on this occasion happened to be Addison
Gravison Rickerson, a little pudgy boy who was called "Addy Gravvy"
for short. He took a handkerchief, and the children, joining hands,
formed a big circle. Then skipping behind them he sang:

"Lost my hankshuff yesterday,
Found it to-day,
Filled it full 'er water,
En dashed it away."

He sang the words twice, and then he let the handkerchief fall behind
little Nell Morton, but she was watching, so she grabbed it and chased
Addy Gravvy, trying to catch him before he could get round the circle
into her place. He ran so fast he would have beaten her had not Willie
Baker stuck out his foot, tripping him up so that little Nell easily
caught him.

Addy Gravvy protested: "That's no fair, I won't go in the middle." For
whoever got caught had to go in the middle until the close of the game.

"She is so little," explained Willie, "that she never could have caught
anybody."

"Then she oughtn't to play," said Addy Gravvy.

At this the children all began talking at once, for Nell was a
favourite, and matters were looking serious, when suddenly a shadow
crossed the bar of light made by the Mortons' open front door.

"Paddy!" "Paddy!" cried a dozen frightened ones, and the little group
took to their heels.

In two minutes the street was as silent as midnight, the only person
left being a little old man whose back was bent almost double. He
turned and looked after the children and gave a long, deep sigh.

CHAPTER II.

THE SHADOW

Of course you wish to know all about the crooked man whose very shadow
caused the children to stop their play and scamper to their homes.

You remember I told you that one side of Jefferson Square was occupied
by the Convent of the Good Shepherd and the common? Well, this convent
was a source of much interest and not a little awe to the children. They
were always curious to know what was going on behind those high brick
walls.

Nothing in the shape of a man, except the priests, was ever allowed
inside the convent. You can judge, then, of the flutter it caused
when one day at noon, as the children from their windows opposite were
watching