Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-21
HERO HARRY.


= small enclosure just pach % an 'te ivN
scsool-house on Coal river ten or dozen
- were grouped together a few min
II ,,cs before the morning session. Tom
sgWric. a tall. stout dark -hr1wed = Of is.
nose physical makeup had evidently cs,
@X s.riiehad for him n leadership among hts
W .,npanions. had just concluded recital
~ = ySbat he called "a Jolly, good plan fm
getting square VITA o.l PioNman
& n rather crusiy farmer whose land sd
,,ined the scholastic along the river
III l8nD. ana shaping Dick Temple on %,
III mex he exclaimed.
How does 81 striSs you. Dickl Don't
~ 500 see heap Of Fun IN itf''
81 pick. instantly rcnleiing Toms bols,e-
"a rous enthusiasm. returned;
81 lots. and Wen work IL tonight JUS
81 a. soon a. dusk sets in"
81 "Hurrsh, Hurrah Hnrrah"' came 70,
II successive outbursts OF approval from ~,
81 fcst OF the boys, end unanimous war-
n dance gave final endorsement 20 Tom
II aggressive scheme.
scarcely had this demonstration ceased
II when from a light skin which had Just
crossed the swelling river Harry MertOa
4 fprang 70 the shore and Fastening up the
a slope through tho heating rain at One
50.ncd The hilarious gathering and asked
1hc cause 81 their excl ment
It's Just this way" said LJwfie, turn
ing 70 Harry and assuming Il somewhat
"Old Plownan. whose meanness you
know as well as the rest ~ us, ana who
even begrudgcs us the few handouts or
cherries and pears we CLEAN In our short.
cuts across HE farm. has got boat-ioad
81 market stun tied up IN the cove al
ready go float down % the kantwha itcket
ln the morning and I've pr0pos Il 10 the
BOYS 20 go up tho-c after nightfal and
cut her loose. and as this storm VIII work
up a stcaming frcshct before that time.
the old machine ~ so cavorting down the
current and he dashed into gmthcreens
before the old skinnint VIII know any
thing about TO- What DO you say? Are
Sou With us.
Harrys light figure Strengthened up and
DIS pale face took on "a troubled look as
the boys drew closer 90 him and awaited
Dis reply. IL came slowly. but In tones
that left no doubt OF the lrmness Of his
resolve
IL was about 10 say. boys. that I was
sorry ] couldn't Join you in carrying out
!pur plan, bat on second thought / think
8 more 20 my credit 20 say that ! feel
flad of the opportunity Of using my in
irrnce against your doing what Tom
proposes YOU shall DO"
And what we have all made up our
minds 10 DO" interposed Lowrie "and
t.at too, 10 spite OF anything you may
say. we've had enough Of your soft talk,
Harry Merton. There's never anything OF
This kind proposed but you ring In some
Slu3ay-schoOl speech on as and try 10
make out you see something wrong ln IT,
when the real reason you won't join US is
because you're afraid 10. You never had
much show Of spunk and 10 come out
gls1 and square, 1 think you're a cow
url"
yes; that's e." echoed Dick Temple.
'iit's a coward. and ] move we give him
10 .nF 81
LARRY Merton! How does that sound.
Fits him 20 a dotr'r Just the thingm
coward Harry Merton" came from on
eiter another OF the BOYS. as. almost a
unit they pointed their fingers scornfully
az Harry, and concluded their acts OF
urrision by repeated shouts Of Coward
The object Of this demonstration
tmillngly awaited the subsistence OF their
noisy outcrics and then. with q glow Of
Ifle' adding lustre 10 his dcep-brown
eyes. ne said
am sorry, boys. that our opinions
ufcr as 20 the meaning OF the word
coward but We can agree 20 disagree
on that point, and yet be civil to one
another Whatever your present opinion
6 ~ me, ] think well enough Of you 10
isIevc that you will have the courtesy
. permit my giving my reasons for OPP
posing your designs against Mr. PlOwman.
J init that he Is rather mean and treats
o. pretty gruiily al times: but IL, we
-pise him for these things how can we
excuse ourselves for doing worse? Be
fits. liowman is poor, and the loss Of
That boai-l0ad OF goods will not only |
cause him To- suffer but viii bring suffer |
ing 20 his wife and children. Should they
D. punished for bis faults? II seems TO
me that would be FAR meaner act than /
any The old farmer ever committed |
AGAINST as. No boysl The more / think |
G. This thing the stronger ! grow In the |
belief tina, 1t Us wrong. Take my advice /
then. and think up some other way OF |
showing your disapproval OF his crusti- /
ness IN cheerfully join you I'm carrying |
out any harmless joke but when II comes |
10 doing that which my conscience tells |
Inc isn't rght, III have 10 ask 10 be eX- |
Cuscd "
As Harry concluded, there was an evil |
'rnt disposition on the part of some OF |
the boys 10 change the plan Of campaign |
esainst the offending neighbor. but |
lowrle's dominating stu5b1rnncss zoe lei
any growth OF This influence, as he al
most hcrceN exclaimed.
And We'll have 10 ask you 10 shut
Gown on any more palavcr OF that sort
y won't bulge us one biz from our inten-
TONS, nor change our opinion OF YOU.
you're excused with a 'eood-riddance' In |
o. bargain. We don't care q associate
hith towards and the sooner you make
~ your mind TO that The better it viii be
lor YOU"
The shout Of appreciation which sig
nailed the conclusion of this speech was
hot as vigorous as the one which followed
Toms disclosure OF his plan, but II was
sufficiently so 90 satisfy him that he had
rarried his point. and az the ben for the
morning session sounded the summons
h- LED the rush through the drenching
storm into the ola school-house Harry
Merton did not Immediately follow his
schooiInates, but. turning 10 look through |
the openings IN the weather-beaten struc-
ture that sheltered him. prompted 90 DO
80 by anxiety as to the safe moorng Of
his sklm. there was revealed 10 him
condition Of things that quite excited his
alarm.
The school-house stood ON a knoll
slipping 90 the river ON the west and
otherwise bounded hy q dry channel or |
rut-on curving from one point on the
river % another about three hundred feet
below. The bed OF this channel was
foot or two above the natural level of
the water but IN times OF freshet it was.
a. course, overlooked. cutting or the
. .hool site from dry communication with
the mainland But once IN the remcm-
liancc OF the settlers had such an In
undation been OF nature 20 render trans
Ter by boat at all precarious. ana
this. fortunately. happen on Satur-
DAY. when the absence OF the' scholars
prevented their irSrisOrment and the
anic that such a condition would have
probably created.
AS Merton booked in the direction OF
Tie cutoff. he saw that the overflow.
which but an hour before presented no |
alarming aspect. had not attained the
Proportions Of torreut-a leapiug, broil-
lF angry mass OF rushing waters-sweep-
tx through the circiing depression
rapidly widening volume and sending
olgues of foam up the sides OF the slope
10 Dap up the fast-contractlng surface Of
he knoll
bisdaiuing all thought Of HIS now use
'es ku-for no light boat could have
Air} iculcd that seethinR current.-he
lrd io' the school house and hastily in
'fmel the schooi-mlstress OF the sltua-
son. Miss Turner. a tall. muscular. |
wn-nfo"nc1 mountain-girl Of twenty-odd
'ei@ quietly moved from the rustic
70" oehind which she had been seated
'.-' s'ano'ns at "a window. surveyed for
: moment Toe maddening waters 50 sure