The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1884-01-19
A BRAVE CRIPPLE.

A BRAVE CRIPPLE.
"He knows that no feller'll hit him
cause he's so small an he's only got
one leg, so he does Jest what he pleases.
do hate cripples, cause they think
they can do jest about rs they want
to.
"But Amos didn't mean to hit the
marbles; his crutch slipped on that
smooth stone, an he couldn't help him
self"
I" don't believe anything of the kind
was lookin' right at him when he
come along. an ! could see him try to
10 it, tH 1s
Fred Barlow was making nm exhibit
ton of his temper such as was not at all
creditablc to him. With several Of his
most intimate friends he has been en-
gagged in game Of marbles in the
school-house yard, hoping to be able to
conclude IL before the study bell should
ring 1t was just when he was almost
certain of victory that Amos Patten, u
poor little fellow who had lost his leg
two years before by being thrown in
front of moving machine, passed by,
stumbling just in front OF the collec-
ton of agates, marbles and alleys, and
dispensing them in every direction with
| his erutch.
Even while Fred spoke he lifted his
hand as II to strike Amos, and as the
cripple shrank away from him as II in
fear OF the blow, the angry boy added:
you're regular sneak and a coward
that's what you are, Am. Patten, an
I've good mind to hit you anyway,
Jest sos to let you see that you can't do
what you want to. If / was such n
sneak as you are, I'd hide myself 80 $
the other fellers couldn't see me.
1t is impossible to say what other
hard words Fred might have spoken,
for just then he felt a tiny hand thrust
into his, and he turned to greet his little
sister Alice, whom he thought was the
| most wonderful and lovable child in the
world She was the only one who could
| check his temper, which was almost I'M
governable because he had never at
| tempted to restrain it, and on this occa-
| sion he contented himself by making one
more threatening gesture towards Amos,
after which he walked into the school
house with his sister.
"I'll serve him out tonight" he
| whispered to Willis Rich as he passed
him in the ante-room. :" He's always
trying TO show Off smart, an even If he
is a cripple believe I'll give him a les
son that he won't forget
As Fred thus decided that he. would
punish Amos for what was undoubtedly
an accident, he walked to his seat with
an assumption Of manly dignity about
him which would have caused him a
certain feeling Of shame if he could have
seen it as others did. To his mind,
whipping another boy, even though that
one could not defend himself, was a
very manly thing to do, and instead OF
being. thoroughly ashamed Of his dis
play Of temper he was inclined to look
upon it as something to be proud of.
Even if Amos could not join his
schoolmates in their sports, he could
| outstrip them in their studies, and dur
| ing that forenoon Fred felt several
| times that he had fresh cause of COM
plant against him, as Amos answered,
| very readily, questions in the classes
that he himself failed even TO under
stand.
IN fix him." Fred muttered as he
went back to his desk, after having
failed signally in his natural history
lesson and Amos had been openly COM
| plimented by the teacher. ''Tll teach
him as soon as | get him out in the
yard, an then guess he won't think
| himself so awful smart.
| Then Fred sat looking down at the
| floor in very sulky mood, resolved that
| he would pay no attention to his studies
until he had '.fxed'' Amos, his desire
for revenge growing stronger and
| sfrOn0ar each moment until n thin cIIr1
Of what appeared to be blue dust at
tracted his attention. 1t was so small
that he would hardly have noticed it if
he had not been gazing intently at the
floor. and. even while he was trying to
decide what it was, he heard o shrill
cry from the street below
| Fire Fire q rang out on the air,
and in an instant the scene in the school
room was completely changed.
| There had been more than one of
these blue rings, such as Fred had
seen. creeping up through the cracks
! Of the floor, and the instant the dread
alarm had been given from the outside.
every. one knew that the school house
was on fire beneath him.
| Then came such scene as has been
| too often described in the daily papers;
the studious pupils became terrified be-
| vond control, with but the single
thought of seeking safety by Hight, and
without giving heed to the injuries
caused by their mad rush. The larger
! pup Is, frantic with fear, ran madly in
the direction Of the door, trampling on
She smaller and weaker ones, while, in-
creasng each moment, could be- heard