The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1874-11-26


care you sorry you did not pitch
into Club ?" asked Harry. "You
might do it, you know. Even now you
could walk up to him, show him the
proof, and then punch him. You're
not afraid of him, are youi You're
stronger than Flowers"
"No, am not afraid of him." said
Raymond "but I'm not going to fight
when it's against the rule; it isn't right.
If 1 get the opportunity, I'll let them
see I'm not coward, but it won't be
by fighting"
By this time they had reached the
school and went in but Harry received
several threatening glances from his
companions as he passed to his place.
During school-time the quarrel was not
mentioned but no sooner had they got
ITO the playground than Harry was
overwhelmed with reproaches.
"Wha6 business had you to speak to
Raymond ?" said one.
"You're just such another sneak as
he is" said one.
eff you talk to him again we'll send
you to Coventry as well" said third.
And this threat was taken up and echoed
by all the rest.
Harry had never yet been treated to
this punishment, and was by no means
inclined to covet it, especially when he
glanced across the playground and saw
Raymond sitting by himself with book
in his hand. To be shut out of all the
games and be quite unnoticed was very
hard to bear but he remembered his
fathers words, and, moreover, he could
not help admiring Raymond's action,
although it brought no glory, but a
boldly, "Now look here. Raymond
isn't a coward, as you make out. My
father says it was brave of him to
stick out and do the right; and I'll
stand by him, though you do send me
to Coventry"
If bomb shell had suddenly ex-
ploded in the midst of them, the boys
| could scarcely have looked more aston
ished. evils is sure to do as we tell
him." had been the universal belief un-
til now and that he should suddenly
| lare their greatest punishment was al
most past belief. They thought they
could tease and worry him into compli-
lnce with their wishes but in this
! they were mistaken.
Harry had begun to think for him
/ self, and he found that his COM
oanions' opinion of things was not al
ways to be relied upon and, seeing
what was right, he determined to act
upon it. Raymond is no coward"
he repeated, land I shall stand by
him"
"Oh let him co." said one, in tor e
| of assumed disgust. Flowers is our
hero. He will keep up the honorof the
school,"
Flowers was not likely to forget his
hereship or let others forget it either
He hectored everybody, and on the
slightest provocation threatened to
fight, and still managed to keep up the
i'll feeling against Raymond, whose
quarrel he had espoused. He and Harry
were quite unnoticed out of school,
and very uncomfortable they found it.
Public opinion is slow to change among
boys, especially in a case of cowardice
and hero worship and their present
hero, Flowers, was by no means willing
to resign his place, although some of
the boys could not but respect the way
in which Harry and Raymond be-
haved, and were more than half con.
vinced that they were in the right, if
they had only been courageous enough
! to own it.
But one day, as the old sore subject
was again being discussed, on theil
way home from school, they saw horse
come tearing down the road, while just
below group of children we're slowly
crossing, under the escort of an old
deaf woman.
"Oh the children p gasped Harry.
"Flowers, you are used to horses, u
shouted two or three. But Flowers
drew back, pale with alarm at the
thought of exposing himself to real
danger. At the same moment Ray
mond threw down his books and dashed
forward into the road just in time to
catch the horses bride as he passed.
He was dragged forward almost help
less for nearly a dozen yards, but he
still kept his hold, and at last managed
to stop the horse and save the children.
His companions were frightened when
they saw his danger; but when the
horse was stopped they raised tre-
mendous cheer and eagerly pressed
around him, all their former feeling
quite forgotten.
Ipdy uuoIJItS iOiSiNO uo, p"tN OhS
"we've been making great blundel
all this time in saying you were a
coward"
"I'm sure we ought all to be ashamed
OF ourselves, for no one spoke up fol-
you but Harry Wills" said another,
holding out his hand.
Harry looked most triumphant.
"Now who is the hero," he asked,
Flowers, who did the fighting, ol
Raymond, who did the. right, both il
keeping the rules and saving the
children ?"
The boys were well pleased to changt
their heroes. Many of them changed
their opinions, too, and Harry was al.
most as highly thought of as Raymond
himself, for standing by him which al
the rest declared him coward and
from that day, to hold to the right il
the face of all opposition became the
settled principle of many in the school
Nine Hours in q Cisterp.