The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-06-06
nv NAY BELLEvILLE BROWN

BY MAY BELLEVILLE BROWN.
Copyright, 1897, by s. S. Mcclure COD
A group of girls stool by the window
in the Elsmore grammar school before
the morning session was called, ex-
changing notes on the class party of
the night before. when Wayne Hacket
exclaimed:
Here comes Nell Walters. Now
lets make her sorry for what she did
last night.
AS she spoke a tall. brown-eyed girl
joined the group, and Mayme contin-
ued, mockingly:
I'VE congratulate you on your con-
quest last night, Miss Walters. How
proud you must be of such young
Adonis."
Before Nell could reply, Olive Lee
spoke:
Nell. do tell US what you meant by
going home with Ralph Clark, especial
ly when yOuahad let Tom Potter take
you there. And if you had to give Tom
the mitten, why did you add the Insult
of choosing such boy as that Clark =
Tom was awfully angry about 1t,
chimed in Rose Gordon. Il was going
with Wayne and Frank Sully, but
when you treated Tom that way ] let
him take me home. and from the way
he talked l don't think he'll ever like
you again"
There was a decided sparkle of salts
faction in Roses black eyes as She
spoke. for il had ranked III her pride
all winter that Tom Potter, the hand
soonest and richest boy in town. had
seemed 10 prefer Nell to herself. As
she finished with a self-important toss
of her head, Nell broke in, rather de-
family:
In the first place have a perfect
right to go home with any boy in school
to whom mamma does not object, and
in the second place Tom Potter was
not a gentleman last night: he was a
bully, and I don't care how mad l
made him."
well, 1 must say that you made
pretty poor exchange said Olive Lee.
Just look down on the playground,
girls, and see for yourselves"
Below, whore boys of all sizes were
playing, one of the liveliest groups was
composed of grammar school boys.
their leader being a tall, sturdy boy of
about Is. with rosy cheeks and bright
eyes-a handsome fellow with mas
terful way. as he elboew this and that
one out of his path. The girls gaUed
on him admiringly and compared nam
with Ralph Clark, who had just en-
tered the side gate and was soberly
crossing the yard, a slender. pale lad,
with an ugly twist in his right foot
that caused him 10 limp painfully.
Just look al the two boys. girls. and
tell US why Nell should have chosen
Ralph in place Of Tom" said Mayme.
I stood at the door last night as she
Went out, and when Tom stepped up
and asked her if she was ready, what
should my lady do but say. as cool as
you please. Yes, I'm ready Tom, but
Ralph is going TO take me home And
the bashful gawky locked for a min
ute as if he was turned to stone, but
he chirked up immensely and limped
of with N6H III hurry. l suppose he
thought she didn't know that leap year
was over"
Girls said Nell, with flushed
cheeks. Il have told you why l didn't
go home with Tom, and l viii tell you
why l went with Ralph. 1t was be-
cause he was the one whom Tom had
been tormenting all evening. and if
you had been thinking Of other peoples
feelings, you would have noticed it,
TOO. If you don't want TO invite Ralph
TO your own parties, all right, but last
night was for the class, and he owed
it to his teacher to &C, and we owed
il tG him to be polite to him. but we
weren't. and Tom was especially bear
ish. so I made up my mind at the last
moment tha- / would do my part. any
way, so / went home with Ralph. and
1 had to offer. for after the way we've
ignored him he would not dare ask u.s.
TOM POTTER.
Just then the great bell in the cupola
began to ring the rat-tat-tat of the
drum was heard below, and the schOl-
airs, big and little, swarmed toward the
building. From their window in the
third story Rose Gordon and Mayme
Haeket leaned forward to catch one
glimpse of the drummer. Tom Potter
outside the entrance below, his cap
thrust back, his face flushed, his Shout
ders erect. as he beat a tattoo for the
forming files The bell ceased. and
there was silence for a moment; then.
at q signal from the teacher in the
door, the drum beat sounded again
above the tread of many feet. and kept
up its music until the last one was
within the door
Tom sloried in his post as drummer
boy, and when he saw the well-trained
files march to the movements of his
hands, he felt an ownership in the