There was silence for some moments when Sunny Willie, said, in a whisper, to the president:
“I saw de kid take the papers. Shall I butt in?”
“Yes, you arbitrate the case—settle it,” replied the president.
The usual smile was still missing when Willie said, quietly:
“Sand the track, you’re slipping.”
“What do you mean?” asked the boy, his face becoming very red.
“You know the rule of the association is to warn a boy when he’s slipping; when he’s doin’ something wrong. When I say, sand the track, I mean you can’t go forward, you go backward, and some one must help you or you slide back, see? I’m the fellow who’s ready to stop you from sliding. I saw you take the papers.”
The accused was surprised. He could not talk. Sunny Willie again came to his rescue.
“I’ll give you these pennies,” he said, and the smile returned to his pretty face. In his little hand he held ten new pennies.
“Now, didn’t you take the papers?”