Mrs. Ford, however, he regarded as a great and trustworthy friend, and her husband also, for, from the time he lodged with them, they all agreed uncommon well, and Joseph Ford, the policeman, was high in his praises of Teddy from the first.  He happened to be a very radical thinker himself, did Joseph, but, as became his calling, put law and order first; and you felt that the newcomer agreed on that matter and didn’t want to do anything contrary to the constitution, but just advance the welfare of the under-dog by proper means; so Joseph said there was no fault in the man and praised his opinions.

In truth Teddy Pegram appeared to be a very great stickler for the law and held it in high respect—­so he always declared—­and reckoned that those who put themselves within the reach of it deserved all they got.  He might say doubtful things to Joseph Ford’s ear now and again, but nought the policeman could fairly quarrel with, because both Joseph and Minnie, his wife, owed Teddy a bit by now, and, doting on their little son as they did, felt a bit weak to the man in that quarter.

Their only child was six years old, and the amazing beauty of young Joey Ford made him many friends beside Mr. Pegram.  He was one of they children that look too good and too beautiful for this world, and you feel that, by rights, they did ought to grow a pair of wings and fly away to heaven.  And for that matter, old Jane Marks, who was famous for seeing and pointing out the dark side of all human hopes, warned Minnie more’n once against putting her whole trust in the beautiful boy.

“To my eye there’s early death looking out of his eyes,” Jane Marks would say.  “Such blue eyes belong to the sky, Minnie, and there’s more to it than his angel face, because the child’s so parlous good that it ain’t straining truth to say the Old Adam be left out of him.  And granted that, this vale of tears is no place for such a boy.  Heaven’s his home,” Mrs. Marks would say, “and so you must fortify yourself for an early loss.”

Minnie didn’t worry, however, because her son was a strong lad and sturdy as well as lovely.  He’d gotten his father’s fine shape and his mother’s gentle heart, and though good as gold, he weren’t a Mary-boy, as we say—­one of them gentle, frightened childer who can’t let go their mother’s apron.  That sort, if they grow up, turn into indoor man-servants and ain’t very powerful as a rule in their bodies or intellects; but Joey was a brave young lad enough and had already fixed on his father’s profession for his own.

And Teddy Pegram took most powerful to him and made him many a game and many a clever toy.  He’d walk with the child to the woods sometimes and teach him the ways of birds and beasts, and show him how to catch ’em; for Ted was a rare sportsman and deeply skilled in all the branches of it.  And ’twas his bent in that direction led to the extraordinary affair of this tale; though it was a good year before the crash came and for a long time no cloud arose to darken his steadfast friendship with the Fords.  You might say they was more than friends, for Teddy explained to the young couple that he stood alone in the world, without chick or child of his own, and felt very wishful to have some special interest in his fellow creatures.