The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1883-04-07

read IN thick, lndiStinct voice from a
book hidden in his lap.
"Mr. Bradley, will you please stand
up when you read ?" a7ked Alice.
al kin read just as well Settin' down, I"
replied the fellow, with dogged air.
"But il is one of the rules in n read
ing class to stand up to read," said
Alice, her heart quaking with fear as
she foresaw the incipient rebellion.
81 reckon you will have ID make n
new rule for me, then," impudently
answered Nose, glancing sideways at
his companions with grin of triumph.
"lf you do not obey me ! shall be
obliged to punish you," said Alice,
bravely, although she could sarcely stand
up.
al guess all the punishment you could
do wouldn't break any of my bones" re-
torted the rufiian, leering at her impu-
IDENTIFY.
"But can break your bones for you
in half a minute, and I'll do it, If YOU
don't stand up and read as the teacher
asked you to-" said voice at the other
end Of the class, and Alice looked in
that direction and saw Jim Turner step
from the class and face the astonished
Nose.
Moses insolent manner abated in an
instant, his face turned pale, and he
muttered something about not being
"bossed by other boys" but he stood
up as he was commanded.
Alice could have kissed her young
champion for very gratitude, but she
mustered all the dignity she could com
mand, and said: "Alr. Turner, can
not allow you to interfere in the manage
ment Of my school; take your seat. :"
The youth obeyed her without word,
but KEEP, his eye on Nose, as ifwatching
for any delinquency. After this little
episode the exercises proceeded without
interruption till noon.
Alice had no appetite for dinner. She
leaned her ,hrobbing head upon the
desk and wondered wcarily how long
she could endure this.
She was aroused by one of the little
girls rushing up to her, cxclaiming,
Teacher, teacher, the big boys are
fighting" She followed the child, ex-
claiming, "Oh, why did | ever come
into such den of wild beasts ?" At
the rear of the school house stood Inn
Turner, engaged in a hand to hand
comba, with Nose Bradley and his two
brothers, both of whom were grown
As Alice stepped around the corner Jim
sent Nose reeling to the earth, and
then turned like lion upon his two
remaining assailants. They rushed at
him from two sides, but Jim was as active
As panther and Bill Bradley fell as if
shot from lcft-handcd blow, and his
brother Tom followed him in an instant.
BY this time Nose had secured ball
bat and rushed upon Jim, but the latter
evadcd the blow, wrenched the bat
from his hand, and knocked Nose head
long with blow oi his fist.
Asthc discomfiicd trio rose Jim laugh
cd lightly and asked them show they
liked it as far as they had got," picked
up the bat he had wrcnched from Nose
and called out, "Comc on, boys, let's
have game of ball"
The combat ended so quickly that
Alice had no chance to interfere, but
she felt that it would not do TO let this
open violation Of school rules pass un
punished, so she rang the bell. When
the pupils were assembled she called the
culpri,s up to the desk, and asked what
the fight was about and who began it.
Tie Bradlcys stood sullcn and silent,
but Jim answered, 81 would rather not
tell what it was about, bu, began it by
knocking Nose Bradley down" Alice
knew the fight was the result OF Jim 5
espousal Of her cause in the reading
class, and her voice faltered as she said:
"Thcn shall have to punish you hold
out your hand"
Jim obcycd her instantly. She took
up the ruler with trembling hand and
began the hcpunishment. Jim's face never
changed muscle. The look upon it
was one OF quiet obedience in which
there was no trace either OF bravado or
sullenness. As Alice inflicted the blows
upon the hand so quietly held out to
her, the thought rushed upon her mind
that she. was shifting the only hand that
had been raised to befriend her in all
that lawless region.
Her face grew dea,hly pale, her blows
fell falteringly, the tears began to run
down her cheeks, the ruler fell from her
hand, she sank into her seat, buried her
face in her hands, and burst into a
storm ofsobs.
Then Jim's countenancc changed. -
His lip quivcrcd, he dashed his hand
across his eyes to clear them Of an un.
natural dimness, and the great lump in
his throat seemed to choke him. A
chuckle from Nose Bradley recalled
his seli-possession, however, and lie
took 4 step or two toward the latter
with eyes that fairly blazed with hot
indignation.
Nose rapidly retrcated a step or two.
and his chuckle died an untimely death,
and for a full minute silence reigned
over the school-room. At last Alice
raised her head and in broken voice
dismissed the pupils to the playground.
As the children passed out, she heard
some say, $50 you got whipping after
all, Jim," and Jim's reply, eyes, and |
got enough to pass some Of it around il
anybody is anxious about it,"
At one O'Clock Alice rang the bell
with feeling OF utter despair; but no
school ever moved more smoothly than
did her school that afternoon. Quite
obedience, study, good lessons and re-
spectful attention were universal. But
Alice had determined to quit the school;
she felt rs il she would rather be the
poorest washerwoman than to be bad
gered, bullied and tortured for months
at time by a set Of brutal ruffians,
whose parents employed her for the