t the tragic look on his face.
"Juth think how little I know you."

"You're quite right," said Skippy with magnificent generosity. "I don't
deserve more and I had no right to say that. Well it was white of you
even to care this much." He took off his hat and extended his hand.

"What are you doing?"

"The only square thing by you," said Skippy with a perfect Bret Harte
manner. "It's been bully to know you and I'll never forget about that
stud. Good-bye."

"Do you want to make me vewy vewy unhappy?" said Miss Jennie with a
reproachful look in the velvety eyes. Skippy returned the hat at once to
his head.

"I'll do anything, anything for you," he said huskily.

Now there are two stages in the process of returning the wandering sheep
to the fold and not the least interesting is the period of
investigation. Miss Tupper had worked in missions with enthusiasm but
there was something in the present case which staggered her imagination.
How could a boy of sixteen, brought up with all the advantages of a home
and good influences, have sunk so deeply into the mire of evil? How
could one be so depraved and yet look at you with such an open, winning
smile? Was he inherently bad or just weak, just reaching out blindly for
some good influence to set him right?

"If I can help you," she said, leading the way to a little summer house
on the parsonage and shuddering as she glanced down at the nicotine
stained fingers, "and I do want to help you--I'm several years older
than you are--you muth tell me evewything."

"I will, I want to," said Skippy, summoning up all the powers of his
imagination.

"You know," said Miss Tupper, a little embarrassed, "I heard, I couldn't
help hearing all you thaid that night on the boat."

"You did. . . . Good heavens!"

"Perhaps you don't want to tell me."

"I might as well make a clean breast of it," said Skippy, wondering
where the exigencies of the situation would lead him.

"I'm afwaid Jack," said Miss Tupper sympathetically, "that your fwiend
Arthur Gween ith not a vewy good influenth for you."

"Snorky?" said Skippy momentarily surprised.

"He theems to have vewy low athothiations," said Miss Tupper earnestly.

"You mean racing and jockeys and all that sort of stuff?" said Skippy,
willing to follow the line of least resistance for a while. "Oh, Arthur
isn't half bad."

"I don't think you thee him ath he weally ith," said Miss Tupper firmly.
"No I don't think he ith at all the pwo