The Story of a Bad Boy

ay. His red hair seemed to change to a livelier red, and his sallow cheeks to a deeper sallow, as we glanced at him stealthily over the tops of

recitation, he performed the feat unconsciously. Throughout this entire morning his thumbs were observed to be in a chronic state of dislocation, indicating great me

h a page of Mr. Andrews's perplexing irregular verbs. Binny Wallace finishing his task first, was dismissed. I followed shortly after, and, on stepping into the playground, saw my little friend pl

njoying the sport; but on seeing me sweep across the yard, whirling my strap of books

s head. He reached forward one of his long arms -- he had arms like a windmill,

tears of defeat; they were merely the involuntary

my right leg and keeping my eye fixed steadily on Conway's -- in all of which I was faithf

motionless, neither of us disposed to risk an attack, but both on the alert to resist one. There

ll-playing on the Square, and, there being no other available place, the boys fell back perforce on the school-yard. Just at this crisis a dozen or so of th

Adams, who saw by our freshness

nway will ask Wallace's pardon, promise never

ndition was rat

hing of the sort," s

gnity. "Rodgers, as I understand it, is your second

hrashing Bin

he knows who put Meeks's mortar over our door. And I know well enou

" I cried, redden

ting advantage to the enemy. "Who ever heard of a fellow with such a head of hair going into action!" muttered Phil, twitching the handkerchief to a

lled Rodgers to his side, and had himself arrayed in a similar manner, though his hai

y?" asked Phil Adams

"Re

m," whispered Phil in my car, "and

s all you shall see of the combat. According to my thinking, the hospital teaches a better lesson than the ba

I think it would prove very poor reading, and not because I

ary law of the place. The personal inconvenience I suffered from my tormentor was nothing to the pain he inflicted on me indirectly by his persistent cruelty to little Binny Wallace. I should have lacked the spirit of a hen if I had not resented it finally. I am glad that I faced Conway, and a

ooks (1) ever written f

e, but very much the better, for learning to box well. Should you never have to use it in earnest

hat you have to say 'Yes' or 'No' to a challenge to fight, say 'No' if you can -- only take care you mak

physical pain and danger. But don't say 'No' because you fear a licking and say or think it's because you fear God, for

pump for the last twenty seconds), when Conway retired from the field. As Phil Adams stepped up to shake hands with me, h

and blindly. I remember that Binny Wallace wanted to give me his silver pencil-case. The gentle

triumphant. As I went along, my cap cocked on one side to keep the chilly air from my eye, I felt that I was not only following my nose, but following it so closely, that I was in some danger of tre

d Harry Blake

"We

king out of the recitation-room

was he,

m sure

ust have seen

uldn't

ort metre; but I guess be saw you pitching into the pump which you

n't be helped n

ll out of the cocoanut tree," added C

rance. I tried to smile upon her sweetly, but the smile, rippling over my swollen cheek, and dying away like a spent wave on my

the recognized professional warrior of our family, could not consistently take me to task for fighting Conway;

my story. "Just like me when I was young -- always in one

interrupted Miss Abigail peremptorily, directing her to make a shade out of cardboard and black silk to tie over my eye. Miss Abigail mu

have in the house," sa

hool-room window, and the next morning, after prayers, I was not wholly unprepared when Master Conway and myself were called up to the desk for examination. Conway, w

said Mr. Gri

n, and several other pupils testified to the fact that Conway had imposed on me ever since my first day at the Temple School. Their evidence also went to show that

o speak, "Bailey didn't fight on his own account; he fought on my account, and, i

ng very little of his own grievances, I noticed that Mr. Grimshaw's hand, unknown to himself perhaps, rested lightly from time t

e pupil systematically persecutes a schoolmate, it is the duty of some head-boy to inform me. No pupil has a right to take the law into his own hands. If there is any fighting to be done, I am the person to be consulted. I disapprove of boys' fighting; it is unnecessary and unchristian. In the present inst

nds in the presence of the school, and ackn

were bent upon another hostile collision. We clasped hands in the tame

eplied, drily, "and I'm s

mshaw, turning his face aside to hide a smi

to further molestation. Miss Abigail's sanitary stores, including a bottle of opodeldoc, were never called into requisition. The six black silk pa

n's School D