with rage, threw himself upon the other. Instantly there was a
general melee. Phil did not wait to see the result. He ran to

the door, and, emerging into the street, ran away till he had
placed a considerable distance between himself and the disorderly

and drunken party in the barroom. The fight there continued
until the police, attracted by the noise, forced an entrance and

carried away the whole party to the station-house, where they had
a chance to sleep off their potations.

Freed from immediate danger, the young fiddler kept on his way.
He had witnessed such scenes before, as he had often been into

barrooms to play in the evening. He had not been paid for his
trouble, but he cared little for that, as the money would have

done him no good. He would only have been compelled to pass it
over to the padrone. These boys, even at a tender age, are

necessarily made familiar with the darker side of metropolitan
life. Vice and crime are displayed before their young eyes, and

if they do not themselves become vicious, it is not for the want
of knowledge and example.

It would be tedious to follow Phil in his wanderings. We have
already had a glimpse of the manner in which the days passed with

him; only it is to be said that this was a favorable specimen.
He had been more fortunate in collecting money than usual.

Besides, he had had a better dinner than usual, thanks to the
apple, and a supper such as he had not tasted for months.

About ten o'clock, as he was walking on the Bowery, he met
Giacomo, his companion of the morning.

The little boy was dragging one foot after the other wearily.
There was a sad look on his young face, for he had not been

successful, and he knew too well how he would be received by the
padrone. Yet his face lighted up as he saw Phil. Often before

Phil had encouraged him when he was despondent. He looked upon
our young hero as his only friend; for there was no other of the

boys who seemed to care for him or able to help him.
"Is it you, Filippo?" he said.

"Yes, Giacomo. What luck have you had?"
"Not much. I have only a little more than a dollar. I am so

tired; but I don't dare go back. The padrone will beat me."
An idea came to Phil. He did not know how much money he had; but

he was sure it must be considerably more than two dollars, Why
should he not give some to his friend to make up his

deficiencies, and so perhaps save him from punishment?
"I have had better luck," he said. "I have almost three

dollars."
"You are always luckier than I, Filippo."

"I am stronger, Giacomo. It does not tire me so much to walk
about."

"You can sing, too. I cannot sing very much, and I do not get so
much money."

"Tell me just how much money you have, Giacomo."
"I have a dollar and thirty cents," said Giacomo, after counting

the contents of his pockets.
Meanwhile Phil had been doing the same thing. The result of his

count was that he found he had two dollars and eighty cents.
"Listen, Giacomo," he said. "I will give you enough to make two

dollars."
"But then you will be beaten."

"No; I shall have two dollars and five cents left. Then neither
of us will get beaten."

"How kind you are, Filippo!"
"Oh, it is nothing. Besides, I do not want to carry too much.

or the padrone will expect me to bring as much every day, and
that I cannot do. So it will be better for us both."

The transfer was quickly made, and the two boys kept together
until they heard the clock strike eleven. It was now so late

that they determined to return to their miserablelodging, for
both were tired and longed for sleep.

CHAPTER VII
THE HOME OF THE BOYS

It was a quarter-past eleven when Phil and Giacomo entered the
shabby brick house which they called home, for want of a better.

From fifteen to twenty of their companions had already arrived,
and the padrone was occupied in receiving their several

contributions. The apartment was a mean one, miserably
furnished, but seemed befitting the principaloccupant, whose

dark face was marked by an expression of greed, and alternately
showed satisfaction or disappointment as the contents of the

boys' pockets were satisfactory or otherwise. Those who had done
badly were set apart for punishment.

He looked up as the two boys entered.
"Well, Filippo," he said, harshly, "how much have you got?"

Phil handed over his earnings. They were up to the required
limit, but the padrone looked only half satisfied.

"Is that all you have?" he asked, suspiciously.
"It is all, signore."

"You have not done well this afternoon, then. When I met you at
twelve o'clock you had more than a dollar."

"It was because a good signora gave me fifty cents."
The padrone, still suspicious, plunging his hands into Phil's

pockets, but in vain. He could not find another penny.
"Take off your shoes and stockings," he said, still unsatisfied.

Phil obediently removed his shoes and stockings, but no money was
found concealed, as the padrone half suspected. Sometimes these

poor boys, beset by a natural temptation, secrete a portion of
their daily earnings. Whenever they are detected, woe betide

them. The padrone makes an example of them, inflicting a cruel
punishment, in order to deter other boys from imitating them.

Having discovered nothing, he took Phil's violin, and proceeded
to Giacomo.

"Now for you," he said.
Giacomo handed over his money. The padrone was surprised in

turn, but his surprise was of a different nature. He had
expected to find him deficient, knowing that he was less

enterprising than Phil. He was glad to get more money than he
expected, but a little disappointed that he had no good excuse

for beating him; for he had one of those hard, cruel natures that
delight in inflicting pain and anguish upon others.

"Take care that you do as well to-morrow," he said. "Go and get
your supper."

One of the larger boys was distributing bread and cheese to the
hungry boys. Nearly all ate as if famished, plain and uninviting

as was the supper, for they had been many hours without food.
But Phil, who, as we know, had eaten a good supper at Mrs.

Hoffman's, felt very little appetite. He slyly gave his bread to
one of the boys, who, on account of the small sum he brought

home, had been sentenced to go without. But the sharp eyes of
the padrone, which, despite his occupation, managed to see all

that was going on, detected this action, and he became suspicious
that Phil had bought supper out of his earnings.;

"Why did you give your bread to Giuseppe?" he demanded.
"Because I was not hungry," answered Phil.

"Why were you not hungry? Did you buy some supper?"
"No, signore."

"Then you should be hungry."
"A kind lady gave me some supper."

"How did it happen?"