Ashtabula weekly telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1880-1886, 1880-03-12

game on u.s. Divide fair, or you sha'n't
divide at all.
"Pd like TO know who's going to
prevent mer'
Joe was getting uglier every minute.
What was merely q spirit Of mischief at
the start had now become hard,
wicked purpose TO be unfair, in spite Of
everything. Jack Jumped TO his feet,
the fire in his heart bursting into a hot
and furious flame.
"Its mean trick, and you're a
mean fellow 10 do IL, so there nowp'
The two boys had always been good
friends. They had had their e" "tiiis, -
like other boys, but these were little
affairs and soon made up; for the lads
were really very fond of each other.
and could not bear TO be at enmity long.
But here was a more serious affair. On
the one side an act OF outrageous in.
| iustice-On the other an accusation that
no boy Of spirit, especially if he de-
served it, could endure for moment.
Joe was on his feet now, and with
clinched fists and angry face shouted,
"Say that again, If you darer
There was an instant's pause. Poor
little Charley stood by in an agony OF
| wonder and fear. 1t was not pleas.
ant scene to witness in the pleasant
woods on that bright October day.
But angry passions spoil many a lovely
day in this fair world of ours!
81 do dare~to say it again, and you
know it's true" said Jack, with a hot
flush on his freckled face.
The words had scarcely passed hi.
lips when Joe, stung to fury by the
taunt, sprang forward and planted q
heavy blow in Jacks face. 1t was an
ugly deed-the first blow he had eveI
struck, except in fun.
Now, if Jack had been hero, he
would probably have put himself il
fighting attitude, and "pitched i'm fol
a regular battle with his angry friend
They would have had furious fight
and after mauling each other for sOmC
time and getting black eyes and bloody
faces, would have shaken hands anC
"made up" If he had been the kinC
of boy we read of sOmetimes-but sell
dom meet-he would perhaps have
said, with disarming mildness and dig
nifty,
"Joseph, / am sorry if 1 have hurt
your feelings, and although you have
struck me, | forgive you, and ask to be
forgiven"
Perhaps something like that-in spirit
at least-would have been better, or
the whole, than what Jack did.
But Jack was neither a physical MOI
a moral hero, to any great extent. He
was afraid to fight Joe, who was bigger
and stronger than he; and he had not
the slightest inclination to make W
with him in any way. He simply turned
around without another word, and
walked rapidly away. But his boyish
heart was in very tumult of angry
passion. "pll get even with him, some
wayp was the one thought that surged
through his breast, as he tramped
homeward through the leaHess woods
and past the vineyards and hot-hOuses
and if any means of doing Joe a seriou;
injury had occurred to him at the mo-
ment, he would probably have jumped
at it as a trout jumps at tempting fly
in August. Fortunately, no such un.
happy chance presented itself, and
Jack had time to cool off before being
able to avenge the cruel insult he had
suffered.
For several days the boys kept apart
Joe was too proud to town up" and
Jack too angry to have anything to dc
with him. Charley had a hard time Of
it between them, for they both wanted
him to be with them, and scolded and
threatened to Lick" him if he went
with the other. All the usual fall
sports were neglected. October faded
into November, and the first week
proved cold and stormy one. The
fierce northwest winds came bowling
down the mountain sides, lashing the
river into foamy "white caps" and
putting the hardy river craftsmen to
their utmost skill to avoid an upset in
the narrow pass between the hills.
1t was a dreary time, and the boys
felt, as they had never felt before, how
tiresome the island was in heavy
weather.