South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1881-12-16
Vic Whitney's Revenge.
BY GEORGE CARY EGaLEsroN.

ueu Us u DOy now, so nearly grown
was he, went up to Hen Little, and
catching him by the shoulder and
shaking him, said:
1t seems to me you pick out your
boy TO bully. You ought to be a.
shamed of yourself, to hit fellow
under your size and not half your
strength, and I've q notion to thrash
you for it myself
Nobody heard what Hen Little re.
piled, because all the boys were talk
ing Mt once now; but somehow, when
Vice Whitney rose from the ground,
his clothes torn, his nose bleeding, and
his books muddy, everybody saw that
he was going to say something, and
everybody listened. What he said
was this:
'Hen Little, I've borne with You
for two years; I've taken all your
WEAKNESSES rs mere teasing, and I've
thought you only little rough; but
now tell you you're a coward and n
bully, and give you warning that I'll
whip you for this days work, if it's
ten years hence
Boys said Tom Reid Il move
that, as students of this High School.
we hereby exclude Hen Little from
oil our games and sports. and regard
him as an outside barbarian. until he
makes proper apology to Vic Whit
ney for what he has done
Second the motion = cried dozen
voices, while all the girls clapped
their hands.
Wait a minute, please, called Vic /;
don't put the motion, Tom. Let me
say q word. | thank you all for your
sympathy. but beg you not to do
what you're doing. I've made this
matter quarrel now, and it's my
quarrel, not yours. I've told Hen
Little that l shall whip him for this,
and shall do it, you may depend.
But that ought to settle it, so far as
you are concerned. Hen is bigger
than | am and much stronger but
shall thrash him in due time, and it
amt fair to punish him twice for one
offence. If you punish him, / can't
without doing an injustice, and don't
want to do that. Please Withdraw
your motion, Tom
But this sort of thing is q disgrace
TO the school, said Tom.
Very well; bnt am going to pun
ish it myself replied Vic, and that
will clear the school. I've right 10
be the one to do it,
But you can't thrash Hen Little
cried half a dozen boys in breath.
No, not now. But shall be able
to do it after while. Trust me, and
do me the favor | have asked. With
draw your motion, and treat Hen as
if nothing bad happened, and I'll take
care of the rest
There were something in Vic's
manner which awed the boys into re-
spectful obedience. They were out.
ragged with lien Little, & would have
enjoyed making the school too hot
for him. but they obeyed Vic Whit.
ney. When Vic had secured their
promise to this effect, lie gathered up
his books and walked away toward
his home.
Little had teased him mercilessly
during the whole of the two years
since they both entered the High
School, but Vic had borne it all As
mere teasing, not to be resented. At
the end of the last term, however,
Vic had successfully offered himself
for examination with the class in ad.
vance of his own, having worked of
nights to get ahead, and in this way
he had distanced his own class, and
made himself sort of hero in the
school. At the same examination
Hen Little had failed to pass with the
class, and his modification took the
form of hatred OF his former classmate.
who had succeeded in making two
steps forward while he failed to make
one. His teasing became positive
persecution, but Vic continued to en-.
dure it with a smiling face.
One day, however, Just after school.
as Vic was starting toward home, with
his books under MS arm, he accident,
ally passed too near a gymnasium rope
on which Hen Little was swinging.
a slight collision was the result, and
Hen lost his hold on the rope. with
no more serious consequence than
fall to his knees Springing up, he
rushed at Vic, and without a word of
warning, dealt him n severe blow on
his nose, knocking him down into
little puddle. 1t was n particularly
brutal and wanton attack, and so. as I
began by saying, all the boys cried,
Shame = and the scene already do
scribed cnsued.
Vic Whitney seemed calm enough
when he begged the boys to refrain
from their proposed measure Of ven
geance, but as he walked away home
ward he was in reality very much
disturbed. His sense Of Justice was
beyond endurance, and his
feeling was that no would wrong him.