“We’ve just been watching one of their meetings,” Dick continued, “and it’s plain to be seen, sir, that Billy has got a firm grip on Mr. Nocker’s heart. We saw the deacon kiss him lots of times, and squeeze him just as if he wanted to eat him. Oh, it’s bound to come out all right in the end.”
“Good for you, Dick!” said the minister, enthusiastically, taking the hand of the boy in his strong grip; “and I want to say that I consider you’ve played one of the neatest games that could be devised.”
As the two chums walked onward, Dick’s face was beaming with happiness. There had been a time when he would have cared little for the good opinion of Mr. Holwell, but somehow, of late a great change seemed to have come over the wayward boy’s nature. Many things that he had formerly delighted in, no longer held an attraction for him; and every day he was awakening to the fact that service for others could bring more real pleasure than selfish gratification ever did.
“Here’s trouble with a big T!” burst out Leslie before they had gone far.
“You mean about Dan Fenwick, I suppose,” ventured Dick, glancing at an approaching figure. “Sure enough, he does look pretty sour, as if his dinner hadn’t agreed with him any too well.”
Dan came along shaking his head, and frowning savagely.
“What’s got you this time, Dan?” burst out Leslie as they joined forces. “Lost that new knife you got on your last birthday? Or mebbe now Susie Banks has promised another fellow she’d go with him to that barn dance they’re getting up for Christmas Eve?”
At that Dan shook his head and grinned, showing he had not yet reached such a depth of actual woe.
“Huh! ’tisn’t quite so bad as all that, fellows,” he went on to explain. “But let me tell you something has got to be done about that Mr. Loft. He’s gettin’ on my nerves, and that’s a fact.”
Dick and Leslie exchanged glances at hearing this fresh complaint about the pedantic librarian who seemed to think boys ought to be fed on heavy stuff from the time they were able to read their primers.