The Arizona sentinel., 1889-12-14
THAT GOLD MEDAL.
Why It Was Given to Spicer, My Compel
 itnr.

Why It Was Given to Spicer, My Compel. itOr.
 hated Jack Spicer; he always got uT head. He was always being praised and
 complimented, and told how much bet
 ter he was than the rest; and then he
 was always setting himself up to give ad-
 vice. That's why we fellows didn't like
 him. He'd do kindness; why, he used to give little Morris half his lunch near ly every day. Little Morris had the
 worst kind of step-mOther, and if he
 was bad-she called it bad if he sneezed
 in church, or took an apple without leave-why, then she'd send him of
 without his breakfast.
 Yes, he was kind. He sat up all night
 with Shriner, the German pupil teacher, that the boys sent into fever by mak- ing fun of, and gave him his medicine, and brought him oranges, and made us all ashamed.
 That was the worst of Spicer; he al- ways made you ashamed; but about Shriner he was right.
 We had merits at Dr. Browns for be- ing early, and deneerlts for being late. Jack Spicer was always early. I never knew any thing like him for that It helps boy on wonderfully. They think he means to do his best if they find him there in the morning, first thing, and looking over his lessons as Jack Spicer always was.
 I thought good deal about Jack when the big gold medal was going to be given out. The boy who had no demerits was to have it, or if there were several, we drew for it. I knew could not beat Spicer; he would be perfect; but I might draw for the medal if I tried; and ohl I did try. was always early; knew all my lessons. I did every thing so well that my Uncle Reuben said he had some hopes of me at last. That was good deal for Uncle Reuben to say, for he had been in the habit of predicting some very bad end for me; but now he said he had hopes, and that if I did get off with out one demerit he would give me a watch-a silver watch-with firSt-rate works inside of it. And so I did my best; and the day before the prize-day I stood even with Jack Spicer. One fail ure next day, or being late, or talking when it was forbidden, would throw me 0ut-or him. But no one even thought of that; the wonder was about me.
 Sam Squires bet his six-bladed pen knife against Bill Hopper's baseball that I'd lose the chance somehow in that twenty-four hours. I wouldn't have risked any thing myself, Jack Spicers luck was so wonderful; but I did my best.
 The last day. Up went the sun, and up went I. I washed and dressed, got my lesson before breakfast-got Uncle Reuben to hear me over. Uncle Reuben scas good fellow if you pleased him. And then I hurried my breakfast, washed my hands, polished up my nails, and made my hair shine-you got de- merits if you were untidy at Dr. Browns, and off I went.
 Now lived a good long way from the school, but Jack lived farther still. We came along the same road, and through bit of woods, and then down the hill to the school-house. And I was flying through these woods like race-horse, when down 1 came as if I'd been shot. There were lot of boys up to any thing in the village: they hated Dr. Browns boys because they had good clothes; called them dudes, and all that sort of thing; and l suppose they had fixed the wire Oh, I didn't say what it was l fell over. Some one had fastened barbed wire across the road. They did it once when the folks were going to church, and there was time about it; and Johnny Bowler got locked up, and afterward they found out it was Mug gins, the butchers boy, that did it. But some one had done it again, and there was. Coming at such a speed, 1 got throw, can tell you, and my legs were cut through my knickerbockers. I had a lump on my forehead; l almost broke my neck, and I bruised my arm.
 For minute I couldn't get up. Then l was giddy, and had to sit down; and I thought: ''I'll be late and lose my chance after all" But I came right in few minutes. Of course it hurt yet, but that was nothing. I came all right, and picked up my books, and was going to unfasten the wire when heard Jack Spicer coming; you could hear any one long before you could see them, and I knew his run. While I was working at the wire he would pass. He would get to school early; should be late. And suppose and when I said so to the minister, he said it was probably so-that Satan look ed over my shoulder at that very mo- ment. ''Let Jack Spicer take care of was what he made me think Satan mean; ''let Spicer fall down and be made late; all the better for you" And away I went, leaving Spicer coming on at great speed with his nose in the | air and his eyes on the hOrison-that's | the way he always ran-and no idea in | his Elind but school and the medal.
 We'll, I got in early, and the other boys came in one by one, and we were i called to order, and lessons began, and still no sign of Jack Spicer.
 The boys began to look at me. The medal was mine, and at first I felt ! jolly over It. ] hen l began to think of the barbed wire. of the lonely road, of l