“Well, for one, Nick has cut the habit out, Chief, I happen to know, for he told me so,” Hugh ventured to say.

The big police officer sneered, as though he refused to believe there could any good come out of the boy who bore that detested name of Nick Lang.  During the whole of the time he occupied his present exalted position, Chief Wambold had been plagued by the pranks of Nick and his cronies; and, in spite of all his efforts, up to now he had been unable to fasten anything serious upon them, although he gave them credit for every piece of maliciousness practiced in Scranton during that period.

“Well, perhaps some people may believe Nick didn’t have a hand in this outrage,” he went on to say, “but I’ll never think otherwise than that it was his genius for organizing raids that was responsible for the robbery.  At the least, he may have changed his mind, seeing things getting too warm in police circles here.  But never forget to keep one eye open when dealing with such a slippery customer, for his repentance is only skin-deep at the best.”

Hugh made no reply.  He knew it would have been utterly useless, because the Chief was not only a very stubborn man, but inclined to be a narrow-minded one in the bargain.  So he and Thad walked out.  The last they heard the officer call after them was: 

“Make up your minds, boys, Scranton is going to be purged now as never before.  We’ve made a good beginning, and it’ll be pretty unhealthy for anybody to start a racket from now on.  Tip and Leon will be going to the Reform School inside of a few days, after they’ve had their trial before the Justice; and the town will be well rid of a pair of scapegraces.  And thank you for what assistance you may have given us, boys.”

As they walked along Thad vented his feelings in the matter.

“It looks as if that episode might be called closed, eh, Hugh?  The evidence is so powerfully strong that neither of the boys can put up anything like a half-way decent defense.  They’re going to be sent away, and we’ll not be bothered with the bunch again.  With Nick on the mourners’ bench, the old town is going to be pretty orderly for a while, until some fresh spirits break loose.”

“Let’s hope it may be a long time before Nick has a successor,” said Hugh.  “This whole thing is going to be a lesson to such fellows as were inclined to run around with the street gangs, and play practical jokes nights.”

“I notice one thing,” remarked Thad, “which is that some of those fellows who used to loaf on the street corners in summer are now coming to the club-house at the baseball park, now it’s opened three nights a week.  The only trouble is they haven’t got half enough magazines and games there to go around, so many visit the big room to get in out of the cold these nights.”

“That is going to be remedied before long,” Hugh told him.  “Some of the men of the town, and Deacon Winslow heads the list, I understand, have arranged to spend a lot more money on certain improvements; and among other things there will be a pretty fair gymnasium, as well as more reading matter of the right sort for boys.”