“I’ve just got a small amount of work to finish, and then I’m done for the week,” said the brawny smith, as he arose again, winking very fast, it seemed to Hugh, for some reason or other.  “Here’s a bench you can both sit on, and watch the sparks fly from the anvil when I get my hammer busy.  Likely the lad has never seen the same before, and it is always deeply interesting to children, I’ve found.”

So they made themselves comfortable.  Little Joey was a bit tired after his long walk, and leaned confidingly up against Hugh, who had thrown an arm about him.

The smiting of the red bar with the hammer caused a shower of sparks to fly in every direction.  It was fairly fascinating, and Joey stared with all his might.  Even Hugh always enjoyed seeing a blacksmith at work, and hearing the sweet-toned ring of steel smiting steel.

Now and again as he worked, Deacon Winslow would ask some question.  He was acquainted with the fact that the boys of Scranton High had expected to play a hockey match that morning with the Keyport team, and as no one had thus far told him how the game came out, he asked Hugh about it.

From this subject the talk drifted to others, always being of a somewhat sporadic nature, caused by the smith’s starting work again, after heating his iron bar sufficiently in the fire.

“I’ll have the night free, for a wonder,” he told Hugh, with a sigh of pleasure.  “I try as best I can to avoid working late on Saturday, because I want to be as fresh as possible Sundays, which are always full days for me.  So when Nick wanted to come out Saturdays, I induced him to change it to an earlier night instead.  By the way, how is the lad coming, on these days with his new resolutions?”

Accordingly, Hugh started in to tell him how Nick was doing finely, and even repeated a part of the little talk he and the other had had that morning, while on the way to town from the park.

Mr. Winslow listened intently, as he worked the bellows.

“I’m very much interested in the outcome of your experiment, Hugh,” he said.  “It was a clever idea on your part; and now that Nick has made a start I do believe he’ll see it through.  I always thought he had it in him to work out his own salvation, if ever he got a fair chance.  That opportunity has now dawned, and he’s on the right road, Hugh; he’s on the right road.”

“I agree with you there, sir,” said the boy.  “The very stubborn spirit that used to get him into so much trouble is now going to be his redemption, since he’s got it harnessed up to the right sort of vehicle.  The more they try to shove Nick off the track the harder he’ll be apt to stick.”

“It was the luckiest thing that ever happened for him,” continued the deacon, “when you hatched up that wonderful plan on the spur of the moment, and tried it out on him.  But for that, Hugh, he’d now be locked up with his former mates, and headed for the Reform School at full speed.  As it is, he is free to walk the streets, and already beginning to win the confidence of many good people in the town.”