David related his day's experience. When he had ended Tom did a few steps of a vaudeville dance, then seized David's hand. "Well, ain't dis luck! It's like God woke up. But what you goin' to do wid all de coin?" "Oh, buy railroads and such things!" David held on to the hand the boy had given him and took the other. "Tom," he said gravely, looking down into the boy's face, "I've got an idea neither of us is very proud of all the things he's done lately. D'you think so?" The boy's eyes fell to the floor. "I shouldn't care to tell you all I've done. Should you care to tell me?" The tangled head shook. "Well, from now on we're going to be straight--all on the level. Aren't we?" Tom looked up. "I guess we are, pard," he said in a low voice. They looked steadily into each other's eyes for a moment. Then David gave Tom a quick push. "On with your hat, my boy! Let's see if the grocery man won't take some of this money." After their dinner had been bought, eaten, and the dishes cleared away, David began to tack up prints. Tom meditatively watched him for several minutes, then suddenly announced: "I seen her to-day." David turned sharply. He knew the answer, but he asked, "Saw who?" "You know. De lady what I fetched up. I seen her on de street." David tried to appear unconcerned. "Did she say anything?" "She asked how you was." "What did you tell her?" "I didn't know what to say. I was afraid o' queerin' somet'ing you might 'a' told her. I just said you was better." David tacked up another print, during which time Tom again watched him thoughtfully. Then Tom asked, abruptly: "She's a friend o' yourn, ain't she?" "No." "I t'ought she was!" His voice was disappointed. "Why ain't she?" "Well--I guess she don't like me." "Don't like you!" cried Tom indignantly. "Den she's had a bum steer!" He thought. "I wonder what's queered her agin' you?" "Oh, several things," David answered vaguely. Then obeying an impulse, born of the universal craving for sympathy, he went on: "For one thing, she believes I put you up to stealing." "She t'inks you knew anyt'ing about dat!" he cried, springing up excitedly. "She believes you were stealing regularly, and that it was all done under my direction." "Is dat de way she sizes up de facts? Well, ain't dat just like a woman! Wouldn't it just freeze your eyeballs, de way goils do t'ings! "But see here, pard. Swell friends can do a guy a lot o' good. Why don't you hang on to her? Why don't you put her wise?" "She wouldn't believe me. My boy--" the tone tried to be light--"when the world is certain to regard your truth as a lie, it's just as well to keep still." David went on with his tacking, and a minute or more went by before Tom asked, quietly: "But wouldn't you like her to know de facts? Wouldn't you like her to be your friend?" "Oh, yes--why not?" David responded in his voice of affected unconcern.