for dinner? Mary'll be back
soon and 'twould be a nice surprise for her to find the kettle
boiling."

"So it would!" answered Carl, leaping up to do his mother's bidding.

"I'm not forgetting you'd like to do a bit of coasting or skating
to-day," Mrs. McGregor continued. "If you will fit in a few errands
early in the afternoon I'll let you off at two o'clock for a holiday."

"That will be great, Ma! But--but don't you----"

"It will be all right, sonny. Tim has had his play this morning and he
shall help the rest of the day. Hush a minute! Isn't that Mrs. O'Dowd's
knock? Very like she's up to ask me to run down and see little Katie
who is laid up with a sore throat. Well, I'll go but I won't be long.
Meantime if you can lend Mary a hand dinner will be through the quicker
and you will be off to play the earlier."

Thus it happened that before two o'clock Carl McGregor was one of the
shouting throng of boys that crowded the small pond in Davis Park. Amid
swirling skaters and a confusion of hockey sticks he moved in and out
the thick of the game. So intent was he upon the sport that he might
have continued playing until dark had not a boy at his elbow suddenly
piped:

"There goes Hal Harling! Hi, Hal! Come on down!"

"Harling! Harling!" cried the other boys, taking up the call.

"Come on and play, Hal! You can have Sanderson's skates. He's going
home."

"Can't do it!" laughed the giant, waving his hand.

"Oh, come on, old top!"

"Not to-night, fellers! Got to go home."

"I've got to see Harling!" Carl exclaimed, hurriedly loosening his
skates.

"You're not going, too!"

"Got to. So long! Hold on, Hal! I'm coming with you."

Scrambling up the bank, Carl overtook his friend.

"Hullo, Carlie! What struck you to quit?" asked he unceremoniously.

"Time I was getting home. Besides, I wanted to see you."

A smile passed between them.

"To tell the truth, I hoped I'd spy you somewhere, kid. I've got great
news! Corcoran has been fired! What do you know about that?"

"Corcoran!"

"The old man himself--no other!"

"Jove! Why, I thought you said he'd been at the mills all his life."

"So he has."

"But--but--to fire him now!"

"Well, he hasn't actually been fired," amended young Harling, "but so
far as I'm concerned it amounts to the same thing. He's been
transferred to another department and he isn't to be a boss any more,
poor old chap!"

"But aren't you glad?" questioned Carl with surprise.

"W