“Honestly, won’t your mother lick you if she finds out about what happened to-day?” inquired Arthur Post, a tall, thin boy with a solemn face.
“Lick nothing,” retorted Ted. “She isn’t going to find out about it. I’m going to tell her myself. She’ll say I can go to work if I feel like it.”
His chums eyed him with mingled admiration and regret. To them Teddy was a hero.
“There goes the bell. I’ve got to beat it. Don’t any of you start to go in till I get to the corner,” directed Ted. “Then she,” he jerked his thumb in Miss Alton’s direction, “won’t know I’ve skipped until it’s too late. I’ll let you know where I am as soon as I get that job. Good-bye, fellows. Be sure and do what smarty Alton tells you, and don’t go bringing any rubber snakes to school. You can have that one of mine if you can get it away from old Cross-patch.”
With an air of gay bravado Teddy raised his hand in a kind of parting salute, then darted down the yard and through the gateway to the street. At the corner he waved his hand again, then swung out of sight, leaving a little knot of boys to gaze regretfully after him and wonder how they could possibly get along without wide-awake, mischievous Teddy Burke.
[CHAPTER II]
ON THE TRAIL OF A JOB
“I don’t know what we are going to do, Harry, if the cost of living goes any higher.” Mrs. Harding stared across the little center table at her sixteen-year-old son, an expression of deep worry looking out of her patient, brown eyes. “A dollar used to seem like quite a lot of money, but it doesn’t go far these days. I’ve spent every cent I dare this week for groceries, and we’ve still three days to go until I’ll have the money for this dress. I’ve got to sew every minute to get it done. Thank goodness, the rent’s paid for this month. But you must have a new pair of shoes and I don’t know where they are going to come from.” The little woman sighed, then attacked her sewing with fresh energy. “I can’t stop even to complain,” she added bravely.
“You’ll just have to let me go to work, Mother.” Harry Harding laid the text-book he was studying on the table and regarded his mother with serious eyes.