ventured to
address a word to the newcomer who was said to have roundly trounced big
Jim.

A tall man also looked sharply at him, and as he wore a great nickel
star on the breast of his coat Darry understood that this must be Hank
Squires, the constable of the village.

No doubt news of the encounter had drifted to his ears, and since the
boy who usually made life miserable for him had come out "second best"
Hank did not think it policy to take any official notice of the
misdemeanor.

As soon as he arrived at home, Darry busied himself in undoing his
package, and placing the various articles where Mrs. Peake told him they
belonged.

His manner was so obliging and his answers to her questions so ready,
that despite her feeling of resentment at Abner, thinking anyone could
ever take the place of Joe in her heart, the woman found herself
insensibly drawn to the boy.

Perhaps, after all, the mere fact that he had never known a mother's
love, nor had a home of any kind, appealed more to her sympathies than
anything else.

She watched him take off his coat and carefully fold it before setting
to work.

That too, was like Joe, always trying to save his mother needless worry
and work.

After a while, as he happened to come close to her in doing something to
save her steps, she uttered a little exclamation.

"Did you fall down with the bundle, Darry?" she asked, leaning forward.

He turned a little red, conscious that in some way she must have
discovered signs of his recent adventure on the road.

"Oh! no, it was not heavy at all, ma'am," he replied, and then noting
that her eyes were fastened on his cheek he put up his hand, in this way
discovering for the first time, a little soreness there.

When he withdrew his fingers he saw a spot of blood.

"How did that happen then, Darry?" she asked, suspiciously.

"I think he must have hit me there, but I didn't know it until now," he
replied, relieved to feel that he could tell her the whole truth.

"Someone struck you--have you been fighting then?" she asked, a little
coldly; for woman-like, Mrs. Peake did not approve of strenuous
encounters.

"He said that I would have to leave you, and get out. I couldn't do
anything else but defend myself when he came at me. I'm sorry, for I
never tried to get in a fight in my life, and I never ran away from one
either."

"Who was it, Darry?" she asked again, looking uneasy.

"Jim Dilks," he answered promptly, unconsciousl