firm, the snow being packed down solid, I just jumped on
my wheel, and took a little run up in that direction. It wasn't so
easy, once I struck in on that side road, but I managed to pedal
along somehow."

"There are a number of houses on that road, I chance to know, Hugh;
the Simms live there, likewise the Thompsons and the Garrabrants."

"I managed to reach those three houses," Hugh continued; "but it
didn't pay me, so far as results went, though I enjoyed the run all
right."

"From that I imagine nobody had seen the woman and child yesterday
afternoon coming along that particular road, eh, Hugh?"

"No one could remember having met or seen such a person," Hugh told
him; "and as strangers are uncommon in these parts they would surely
have noticed her if she passed their doors. So I came to the
conclusion, as I couldn't even find the marks of her shoes in the
snow along the road, that she must have come over from Belleville
way, and was in the woods at the time I first went by, which would
account for my not meeting her."

"To change the subject, Hugh, I notice that Nick still fights shy of
the rest of the crowd these days. He was skating on the ice to-day;
but absolutely declined to take part in the game; though Mr. Leonard,
wanting to make the opposition as strong as possible so as to put us
to our best licks, went over and talked with him, trying to coax Nick
to join the line-up. What makes him act that way, Hugh? One would
think Nick'd be glad of the chance to play."

"He would, Thad, he certainly would, because he enjoys hockey as much
as you or myself; but I reckon Nick, for the first time in all his
life, finds himself afflicted with shyness. You see, he knows people
don't, as a rule, believe in this sudden reformation. They can't
have any faith in a fellow who's fooled them so often before. And
that makes him want to keep away. Nick is fighting it out all by
himself. If we knew all the wonderful things that he's grappling
with these days I imagine we'd sympathize with the poor fellow, Thad."

"Hugh, you may be right. Already I'm beginning to feel sorry for
saying some of the mean things I did when first we guessed Nick was
trying to turn over a new leaf. It must be terrible hard for a boy
who's always been bad to change around and face the other way."

"Stop and think, Thad. Take the case of that Jean Valjean, for
instance. Now, he underwent a complete change of heart, and from
being a b