It has always been a source of great pleasure, to the president and his associates, to see how deeply interested the officers of the association become, as the following will show. Three officers were walking on one of the principal streets casually looking in the show-windows when they heard music; looking ahead they saw a newsboy, a seller, walking along, playing a mouth-organ. Coming to him, it was noticed the instrument was an unusually fine one, and a new one. “That mouth-organ is too expensive for that boy, there’s something wrong,” said one of the officers. [Illustration: DIVIDING THE PAPERS.] “Where did you get that organ,” was asked the newsie. “I buyed it at Smith’s store, down yonder,” was the reply. “Well, I guess, not. You never had so much money. Come on with us and show us where you bought it.” They walked to the corner when the boy said: “I didn’t buy it there, I bought it down on Monroe street,” giving the correct name of a store on that street. “All, right, come along, we’ll go down there.” Around the corner they started and when within a block of the street the boy again changed the place of purchase. “I buyed it of Mr. Jones, way out on this street.” That was five blocks away. “Now this is the last time,” said one of the officers, “if you change the place again, look out.” But when they had walked four squares the boy again made an effort to change. “No, you don’t my chappy,” said one of the officers, “We know you stole it. We knew it from the first. Now you own to the truth or we will take you to the president, and then what?” The boy squirmed considerable, but every movement gave evidence that he stole it. “Now, where did you get it?” was bluntly asked, as the boy was backed up against a building. This was too much for him. He owned he “hooked it.” Naming a prominent department store as the place he took it. “You must go with us, hand it to the proprietor and beg his pardon,” said the officers. This at first seemed a most difficult task, but when they promised to accompany him to the store he agreed. When at the door of the great store he asked the officers to step aside. “If I do this you will not tell the president, will you?” “Of course not, he shall never know anything about it.” He walked in, took an elevator and soon stood before the manager of the store. He told how he saw it on the counter and “hooked it when the girls were not looking, but I will never do anything like this again.” The manager thanked the boy for his determination to do better and told him he would forgive him for the theft, and promised to give him a position in the store if the officers of the association would bring him there when he was through school. The president learned of this incident a month later but never knew the name of the newsboy. CHAPTER XXVII. As has been said, the boys are continually suggesting by their acts and words, something new, something whereby the officers can build upon their ideas.