The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-25


| ber."
1t happened that Miss Allen gave
the same warning to her pupils while
Albert was on an errand for her at
the principals Office.
She neglected to repeat the words
on the boys return. So, as soon as
dismissed, Albert leaped beyond the
outer door, with shout to Percy
waiting outside: "Hurrah for the
minesw
BOYS" called out Susie Flanagan,
anxiously, 1.-THE teacher said you
mustn't play in the road"
Albert stopped, and looked ques-
tioningly at Percy.
"She don't know anything" urged
the false little tongue. Teacher
never said anything about it.
The emphatic manner of his young
partner in the mining business allay-
ed Albert's suspicious, and he gave
himself over to the excitement Of
their search.
Around the big door on that side
of the school building were gathered
groups of boys, among them Albert's
old tormentors, who now saw long
looked for opportunity, and at once
detailed the blonde to visit Mr.. Swell
Ter, the principal, with the announce
ment that Albert Myer was playing
in the road, and would not come out.
Albert himself, just become the
happy discoverer of fine carnelian,
had run across the street to deposit
it by the fence on the farther side.
Absorbed with the stones, he failed
to notice an ominous rafting sound
coming near and nearer, until sud
denly, glancing back to the middle
of the street, he saw two big, fright
ened horses and an enormous red
machine come sweeping down upon
Percy, who, stunned by fright, stood
staring into the face of threatened
danger, unable to move muscle.
Mr.. Sweller, having come down
stairs, and just reached the outer
door, saw the child's peril, and
stepped quickly behind convenient
screen.
Children, big and little, all wit
messed the frightful danger. and
were still.
Straining every nerve, the farmer
sawed at his reins, holding back his
powerful horses, whose raised fore
feet, should they fall, would strike
the unhappy Percy to the ground.
AS the crowd gazed, breathless,
from across the street, the very spirit
of courage driving every muscle of
his body, toward the center of danger
flew Albert.
Darling under the front of the up
raised hoofs, he gave the stupefed
Percy forcible push that thrust
him far out into safety beyond.
Half-rocking backward from the
effort, Albert attempted to jump for
ward. Too late for escape. The
horses had been turned aside, but a
corner of the big machine struck the
child, hurting him sidewise; and, as
the team dashed on, the little rescuer
dropped on the hard gravel, white
and senseless. Then Mr.. Sweller
came hurrying out to inquire what
had happened. Then Percy gained
his senses, and ran home to tell Mrs.
Bent and his mother
Then there was activity among the
teachers who could help; but over
the mass of boys and girls who had
witnessed the incident had fallen a
spell of silence. Having stood mac
tive in the presence of heroism, what
was for them to say nows
st is not bad fracture" said the
jolly old doctor whom Grandfather
had called. "Such a brave little chap
won't be sick long with broken arm,
eh, generala"
The boys pale lips smiled, and
wonder filled his eyes. The doctor
had called him brave, him brave.
He spoke for the first time since
his hurt, and the words the weak little
voice uttered cut straight to the rigid
grandmother's heart.
"They always said was coward.
l thought l must be coward"
In reply Grandmother's face
worked nervously, and she hurried
to the kitchen; while the gruff doc
tor grunted his contempt for all such
traducers.
In the days that followed, as Grand
mothers patient hands and feet min
istered to her dead daughters child,
tenderness, quickly felt by the sick
boy, sprung up in her, and one day,
when he put loving arm around her
| neck the last hit of hardness left her