“I will let you boys settle this among yourselves,” said the president. They went upon the street, into the alley. Half an hour later the newsboy accused of swearing returned. Timidly he approached the president and said. “I swore but I will never do it again, and I mean it, I am sorry.” At the door the president saw four little faces peeping through the window. They were watching their friend. “Where is your badge?” asked the president. “The boys took it from me, they’re out there,” he replied. They were beckoned to come in. “Did you do the right thing?” one of the boys asked the accused. “Yes, didn’t I Mr. President?” he answered, looking for sympathy. “Yes, boys, he is all right. I understand everything,” said the president. The badge was returned to the boy and they left the office talking and laughing. CHAPTER VIII. The first public appearance of the boys, aside from auxiliary meetings, annual Christmas dinners, attending theatres, entertainments, base-ball games, picnics, etc., and where the boys made a favorable impression upon the public, was the Sunday afternoon meetings held in suitable halls, during the winter season. These were carried on successfully and profitably for several years, until the available halls were too small to accommodate the increasing membership. The idea of Sunday afternoon meetings suggested itself from what the boys said. “If we had meetings of our own we would not attend Sunday afternoon theatres.” Three boys, newsboys, were seen coming out of the back door of a saloon on Sunday afternoon, and to the question asked by the president, why they spent their time in the saloon, they replied they had no other place to go to get warm. “Why not go home?” “We are not wanted at home.” At the Sunday afternoon meetings the entertainments were given by the different Sunday schools of the city, and occasionally by some society, all kindly volunteering their valuable services. Splendid music, interesting talkers, little girls and boys in recitations or songs who always made a hit among the newsies. In time the newsboys became so interested in the work that many of them concluded that they could “do a stunt or two,” and the program was divided in two parts. First, the Sunday-school or society, followed by the newsboys who introduced their best speakers, singers, etc. “These Sunday afternoon gatherings,” to copy from an editorial in one of the daily newspapers, “have improved the tastes, aroused the better natures, stimulated the ambitions, revealed new and nobler ideals and altogether, have opened a new world of more sober and serious plans for future success of the bright little business men.” One of the most trying incidents that ever came to the attention of the president was at one of the Sunday afternoon meetings held in a theatre, when was brought to the rear of the stage two newsboys so drunk that a policeman had to hold them from falling.