The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-10-07

] d NJ tsnsndoas povef.1 oould AN
hurlGa than lifhlsn 10 thesarth u =,
sonesss Of leapiAg Issenssd to stsivs te
the utmost, but never sxossded ths
champions by more than . few inches.
! maintained my supremacy, but by q
hair breadth.
A burly brute came 70 fayville ID
take charge Of the village school. He
was more than Q feet in height, with
the frame and strength Of giant With
little book knowledge, he gave his main
attention to administering Tie birch.
He conquered the obstreperous DULLES,
and then showed regret that no more
characterization cropped up that he
might have the pleasure of subduing It.
Harmon Westcott will remain after
SCHOOL," he Numbered, as gathered up
my books and started to follow the rest
of the boys from the room. laid the
books on the desk behind me and sat
down, wondering what the trouble was,
for he had never as Jet struck me with
his merciless. rod.
When we were alone, he spoke, fin
gering meanwhile the CAD, as If unable
to restrain his eagerness to bring it
down about my shoulders.
80 you have been fighting, young
mani"
mo, sir, have not been fighting"
Silence, sir! No lying to mel Didn' I
you strike Jack Gibbs?''
Jack Gibbs raised his hand to strike
little Tim Metcalf, who accidentally
fell over Jacks feet. Tim is cripple
and could not help himself caught
Jacks arm and told him that if he
struck Tim would lick him. He didn't
strike him, so there was no fighting"
"But you would have hit Jack Gibbs
if he had harmed Tim Metcalf."
Certainly; ! would hit any coward
who did that"
"Then you've got the disposition to
fight; that's just as bad as if you did
fight OF with your coatW
hesitated. I could do as we'll with
my coat on as off, and I would not
please this ruffian by obeyjng him.
"Why don't you do as told?" he de-
manded, l1vld with rage.
~ shan't take off my coat, and If you
lay your hand On me you'll regret it as
long as you live" '
He roared like bull, and, raising
the big stick over his head, aimed ter
rife blow at me. Before it could de-
scend l had him by the throat, bent
him backward over the bench behind
and twisted him to the floor as easily as
if he had been eve lamb. Not only
that, l frightened my grip until he gasred
for breath. was using only one hand
and did not exert tenth part of the
strength at my command.
The miserable wretch must have
thought he was stricken with paralysis.
With my other hand 1 twisted the rod
from his grasp and then swished it
through the air with force that surely
raised ridge through his garments
with every stroke. When he had received
dozen or SO, lifted him clear of the
floor and flung him across the room. He
would have gone farther had he not
crashed into the row Of desks.
"Shall I take off my coat?'' asked
mockingly.
He stared in dazed way and mutter-
ed an oath. He could not understand it.
GOOD day." and walked out of the
room and went home.
II hope he won't tell of it," re-
fiected, "for it will be hard for me to
explain it to the rest Of the boys"
No fear of the teacher making public
his own discontinue, and SO it remained
a secret I was too generous to take ad-
vantage of my triumph, and, so long as
he remained in charge Of the school, he
treated me with consideration that
made me sometimes regret the violence
! had been compelled to use toward him.
Professor Gorgensen's transcendent
wisdom did not enable him to prolong
his life to that Of the patriarchs Of the
olden times, for he died suddenly, about
the date Of the incident just told. had
no brothers and SISTERS and so well had
my mother and I kept the secret of my
incredible strength that even my father
did not suspect it, though aware that
was unusually powerful for lad of my
years. .. = - - $3.50 I
Strange to say, though my mother
knew the marvellous truth, sho very |
seldom Or never referred to it. There
was something so uncanny in the whole
thing that it filled her with awe, as it
did myself. Father passed away, still
ignorant on the point, and at the age Of |
10, when was home on vacation from
college, drove to the old country
church with only my mother as COM
panion.
1t was curious coincidence that the
preachers sermon that day was founded
OH the story of Samson. He went over
the whole wonderful narrative, giving
it spiritual significance by proving
that every Christian can be Samson
against the world so long as he rises
superior to temptation. Once glanced
at my mother. who occupied the pew
with me. She smiled family, and I
blushed. Both of us were thinking of
the same thing, but neither referred to
it on our way home
At the top Of tho high hill, near our
house, the horse as black as night and
with the strength Of Hercules, gave
way to his innate deviltry, took the bit
in his mouth and started down the in
cline on dead run. Mother paled for q
and then said in her quiet
manner:
Harmon, hope there's no need Of