“Hello, there,” he hailed, “what’s the trouble here?”

“I’ve lost it!” wailed the little fellow, without looking up. “It slipped out of my ha-a-and.”

“What did?”

“A nickel.”

“A nickel?”

“Yes, I earned it, and it rolled down one of those cracks in the sidewalk.”

“Which one?” inquired Ralph.

“Don’t know which one--boo-hoo! and say--it was for you.”

For the first time the weeping lad, glancing up through his tears, recognized Ralph. He instantly dug his hand down into a pocket and began groping there.

“What was for me?” asked Ralph, “the nickel?”