A Son of the City

corner of the school yard for Louise, gravely added her books to his own under his arm, and walked slowly home with her. His roommates were at first loud

n't half-bad after all. And the "Tigers" found it a distinct addition to their prestige to have a feminine rooter who danced aroun

le at one corner of the desk, placed the unmarked homework papers in one of the drawers, and made

er of the class taking part in the exercises to have the

landed the big carp. The gang should be a big one, this time. Silvey and Sid, the Harrison kids, Mosher, Perry, and Red Brown were certainties, to say nothing of smaller groups which migh

tore, and hastened eagerly up to the proprietress. She greeted him with a

in yet?" he qu

rrived tha

ends to keep the tin f

the cord around the big, blue bundle and gave them their weapons. The trio left in high spirits, puffing through the empty tubes, making imaginary shots at open w

as at your

the time, and a reserve stock of any kind of food was a rarity

ully. "Get stuck in the pea shooter a

s due, and his finances verged upon bankruptcy. Silvey had another, and John con

mpting array of vegetables in the store window. They opened the door ti

he trio good-naturedly. "Wh

apest," said Sil

ar, and it's harder to

eft the store. At the corner, the pharmacy was bombarded persistently until the dr

outh turned to go back. Silvey halted to pant a defi

ly and pointed to the vacant house j

ont door tight. We can lock it from the inside and go up to the attic. Nobody

s haven't left.

. 'Sides, they wo

anda steps. John peered into the bleak, dirty parlor and reported

st," said S

He peered in at the window. "You don't thi

ght be someone upstairs," sugge

atiently. "You're all 'frai

rself," Bill r

d that his courage would ooze away before he reached the stairway. Sid

r?" asked Bill as he

may have t

quiet upstairs. Silvey bolted the basement door that they might not be pursued from that quarter, and Sid, as they returned to the hallway, cut off th

when they had ascend

ing. Silvey turned angrily on the miscre

r nose for that! 'S'pose t

rs in the attics of vacant houses proved untrue in this instance, and

e bright, reassuring play of light and shadow on

aden lumber wagon, drawn by straining horses, creaked down the street. They concentrated their fire upon the driver by tacit con

here of heated profanity. Came delivery boys, wagons, an occasional carriage, and now and then an u

t of range, on his way towards home and an early supper. John wasted a few ineffectual peas on a pair of sparrows who began a pitched battle on one of the roof gutters. Sport lagged for a

him alone,"

rs are all locked. And how's he going to tell

and let fly. Bill seconded him nobly. The quarry halted,

o was watching the effect of the attack. "J

ven of refuge to be found? They could hear his a

nt windows lock

ng echoed through the deserted hall and bare, cheerles

a rear window to the little pantry gable which stood but a story's height from

nously. Sid's face regained a little of its color. "They we

urple, distorted face glared up into theirs. A

said Silvey thankfully

for a second attack from that quarter. Not a sound in the

ay to the stairs. "We'll open the

loom lay deepest, and they raised eery echoes through the house in their panic-stricken flight back to the top of the stairway. Past the fearsome corner again, through the stuffy kitchen where a ray of ga

r. That meant that it was long after six, and John was under strict orders to report upon his immediate arrival fr

ne night of Halloween pranks is eno

ed as the bit of tin was dropped into the top drawer of th

July, no matter how many firecrackers a fellow owned, he had to sneak off t

days." His last thought on Tuesday was, "That makes just three." Thursday afternoon at school, as he chanted a silent refrain, "Day after tomorrow's H

was not likely to detect him, but he held the note underneath his desk as he o

22-22-7 26-7 7-1

-19-12-12-15 7-12

22-9-8 7-19-22-9

ol books and pads and drew out an oft creased, fi

E F G H

22 21 20 19

R S T U

10 9 8 7

oncentration never meted out to his schoo

after school today all

note. The pair would have met on the way home from school, anyway, but what w

from neighboring woodpiles and fences, eked out, here and there, with a few pantry shelves taken from vacant houses. The fourth was nothing but the picket fence, but as Silvey expressed it when viewing their handiwork, "It doesn't rain much

e, a twenty-five cent rubber stamp outfit which had been used to print the set of membership rules, beginning, "I. No swearing," and two sadly battered, springless, and rusty revolvers. Where they had originated, no one could remember, but there they lay, unsuspected by parenta

trutting back and forth before the doorway. Silvey, as befitted the holder of the exalted office of president, was sitting inside on th

Brown

la had been borrowed from a

came the p

nd, and give t

outh doubtfully,

rry

forgot

think

his ribs with a steadily increasing pressu

for you to remembe

ecretary, had drafted the rules and was responsible for th

I'll h

sly. "It's clean

away from the

your fooling. It

he start.

pp

the rest

Oppy,' was

was 'Opp

y-pop

-nox.' Let's hear

ted it tr

nd to the meeting

al "oppy" and had to have their memories refreshed in much the same manner as that of the first arrival. This was precisely what John had inten

packed so closely together in the enclosure that they could scarcely move, then roamed listlessly pa

nd do somet

nny?" asked

d volunteered. "She wanted him t

ically. "If I had her for a mothe

Harriso

ed. Too many po

retary," Silvey raised

alked home from school together that afternoon, and instructions upon the pr

eting," he bl

hn shook the revolver in disapprova

r," Silvey repeated mechanical

r Silvey's duties that he'd forgotten his own. There was an interchan

hat go. Who'll be in

o leaders in the affair beamed. Everythin

'll w

ere's room," Sid suggested

selves out on the soft grass beside the shack, "there's the garbage c

the janitor gave us last year be

the master strategist. "This time we'll begin at the top and spill 'e

tfully. "Leave milk bottles alone thi

at the opening, with a cry of, "I want my milk! I want my milk!" Returning a moment later from panic-stricken flight, the full meaning of the act dawned upon the boys and remorse overcame them. A hasty search for coin of the realm, a moment of consultation, and Silvey, boosted h

is year?" Silvey appealed to his fellow members. "Garbage cans and doormats and r

ring the bell," suggested Sid. "My big brother, who's

. "Nearly broke my back getting away. Beside

ip of wood on the turf. "Who can get a lot

park, where cans of all sizes and conditions

back as many middling-sized ones as you can carry. You othe

ll that trouble?" asked Sid irritably.

t up with water from the hose pipe on the front lawn, and tie it to the doorknob. Door jerks open when the bell rings-

n silent admiration. "How about th

he? He's all right. Besides, h

y as Mrs. Silvey appeared. A dusting cap was jammed d

ight away. I want you to

on't be a minute." He turned to the rest of the "Tigers." "Everybody got

the lull of the conversation which followed. "You

out of 'em when you're running away, and they get all st

. "Come in the house this minute, before

rose with alacrity. As he mounted the steps, the boys still at liberty scampered away in the fast gathering

hen John came panti

ed his mother as she half turned fro

what we're going to do, and lots o

anything like that. Otherwise, you'll h

ng to blow beans and ring doorbells, same as we

med potatoes a stir lest they stick to the pan. "Oh, I nearly forgot! There's

his voice rise to a fu

lady, I

rs. On a diminutive sheet of note paper, decorated at the top with two l

tcher's company at a Halloween party to be given at her h