"Oh, all right. Pay in advance."
Hal handed out a quarter. Then he was conducted to a long, narrow apartment on the third floor. There were eight beds in the room, six of which were already occupied.
To a person used to good accommodations this apartment would have almost disgusted him. But quarters at the poor-house had been but little better, and Hal did not complain. He managed to get a bed in one corner, and, as the window was slightly open, he slept very well.
He was up and dressed at six o'clock and out on the street. The snow was now all of a foot deep, and Hal was much interested in the snow-plows on the car tracks.
As he passed down the street a snow-ball whizzed past the youth's ear. Another followed, striking him in the head. He turned, and saw a boy slightly taller than himself standing close at hand and laughing heartily.
Instead of getting angry, Hal laughed in return. Then he picked up some snow, made it into a hard ball, and let fly.
The snow-ball took the other boy in the chest, and in his effort to dodge he went over head first into a drift near the gutter. Hal burst out laughing, and then ran back and helped the stranger up.
"Say, wot did yer do dat fer?" demanded the other boy, as soon as he was once more on his feet.
"Tit for tat, you know," returned Hal. "I guess you're not hurt, are you?"
The stranger stared at Hal. He had never met with such a kindly answer before.