122 A Perfect Gentleman.

to whom he formed a great contrast, forthough
evidently very poor, he had shoes to his
feet though they were far from water-tight,
well-darned and patched clothes covered his
spare body, and his strong Scotch accent
specially seemed to cause amusement to the
rough street Arabs that congregated round
him. They seemed to claim the privilege
of teasing him, for he had joimed them at
their street occupation of newspaper and
wax-light vending.

Drawing Walter aside, his new-found
friend told him how dangerous it was to be
thus thrown among such a set, and invited
the boy to come to the “ Children’s Home,”
when Walter made the remark already
alluded to, “‘ I’d like to ask mi mither, sir.”
“You shall ask your mother, my boy,” said
his friend, and taking the address he sent
the lad on, saying he would follow shortly.
Half-an-hour later, the “ Man from the
Home,” as he was sometimes called, was
mounting an attic stair in a back slum, and
on opening the door of the room a sight not
easily forgotten was revealed.

A good-looking but pale young Scotch