He did not know that during all the season, those who intended that every child in town should be educated, strove with the same vigilance as at the beginning of the year.
"Gyp's run away!"
"Why, Harry Grafton, he's always running away from somewhere, or from someone," said Leslie.
"Oh, that's when he's been stealing things," said Harry, "but this time it's different. He ran away from the shanty, and I know, because I heard his mother asking a policeman to find him, and she said he'd been gone a week!"
"Wherever he is, he won't stay long," said Leslie, "he'll come running home."
"Why will he?" questioned Harry. "If he's run away, it's because he's tired of that old shanty, and I should think he would be!"
"WE'D be tired of it," said Leslie, "but he's used to it, and he'll come back, just because it's his home."
"P'raps he will," agreed Harry, "but I wouldn't think that place would seem like home even to Gyp!"
"I'm going up to play with Princess Polly," said Leslie, "and I'll tell her about Gyp. She's afraid of him, and I know she wouldn't want him to run away, but she may feel safer because he has."
"He wouldn't dare harm her," said Harry, with flashing eyes, "for he knows we boys wouldn't stand that. We'd fight for Princess Polly!"