assaulted him. Will knew that his misconduct grieved Aunt Stanshy. The
club felt it, for by degrees the bad news reached them. It seemed as if
each one was burdened by a load of guilt--as if having served in Dr.
Tilton's store, Charlie, Sid, Tony, and the rest had there sinned, and, in
consequence, each had been seen tipsy on the street, and each carried a
load that bowed him.

It was Charlie who happened to be at home when his teacher was calling on
Aunt Stanshy, and he accidentally overheard a fragment of the
conversation. When Miss Barry was fairly out of the house, and Aunt
Stanshy was returning through the entry to her kitchen-work, sighing by
the way, Charlie ran to her and excitedly said, "We--we--will get up a
meeting!"

"A meeting about what?"

"Why, why, temperance."

"Who get it up?"

"We--we boys--our club."

Aunt Stanshy guessed at once the occasion and object of Charlie's remarks,
that he had heard the conversation between her and her caller, and that
this proposition for a temperance meeting was to meet the grave
necessities of the hour.

"Yes, yes," he said, "let's go and see teacher about it"

"What, go now?"