The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-02-20
Stories of an Inland State.

pr.sed at some Of your discoveries. One OF
| the startling facts that lies hidden behind
| the curtain Of analysis is the circumstance
| that buliies, paradoxicaily, are DULLES in
fancied self-defense.
There is nothing quite so enervating to
the healthful mind as the thought of being
| ignorant and slavish. The fear of ignor-
ance rests primarily on the fear of inferi-
Gritty. If the circumstances OF your life
have been SO woven that you did not have
an early fear of ignorance and grew up in
1. and then discovered its certain verdict
Of inferiority. two things are liable to take
place in your nature. If you are not as
sertive and proud-spirited you will become
humble and cringing enough. If you are,
you become forthwith bully.
The world has the advantage of you. Ig-
norant of just what that advantage con-
sists Of you exagaerate it. Educated hu-
manity becomes, in ina gination, a league
against you. The things it says to you
that you cannot understand, turn into
sneers or jibes at your ignorance.
The business of your inferior mind is
then to establish defense. You must COM
mandl respect. How? Not by soft and con-
vincIng words surely. For you have them
not Not by good deeds and silence. For
these are learned in books and books you
know not. Then how? By exaggerating
your capacity for affront and bidding the
world at large beware"
Then you are a bully. Mark you, you
can not be bully on a hundred pounds Of
fiabby flesh. The time will come when
your capacity for affront will be filled, per-
laps with thimbleful-and then you must
fght-and win.
If he could have worded his feelings this
Is what Bill Turner would have told you.
Bill was the town bully. He had whip
ped every one who had crossed his path.
Bills capacity for affront was minute, mi
croscopical.
A travelling man in Bits presence had
once explained the wonders of the phono-
graph.
1T is the wonder Of the age said the
travelling man. Now, there is Mr.. Turner.
If he says anything it takes his voice down
and then it can repeat the same thing
a thousand times"
How do they do it?' asked Bill.
by minute indentations on a cylindrical
surface"
The crowd laughed. They knew that Bill
did not understand.
Bill knocked the astonished commercial
traveller DOWN ana walked OIL.
The commercial traveller arose and nurs-
&c his eve.
..Insulted Bill. That's what said man.
"But how?'
by using big words on him. He thought
you was making fun Of him"
The commercial traveller fled the town.
One day the crowd of town loafers put
I'D a job on Bill 1t was conspired that
Bill should be apprised that Algernon Burr,
the man mus:c-teacher, was making fun of
him to his pupils.
Bill received this fiction in silence.
The next day Burr passed on the street.
There ne is now" some one whispered.
"Sail in, Bill, and learn him his business"
Bill walked over to the frail musician.
"see here" he said bellying up to him in
a threatening manner What you been
saying about me, eh?''
Nothing" said Burr, pale with abject
terror.
Don't back out of it, you spindle-shank-
ed IDIOT" bullied Bill.
But / have said nothing" said Burr.
Eyes, he did," yelled some one in the
crowd. Punch him one, Bill
not true. l DO not know you"
''FIit him, BILL yelled the crowd enthu-
siastically.
Bill walked close to the musician, his
clenched hands down at his side.
The frightened musician held his slender
hands up before his face like a fear
stricken child.
The crowd laughed brutally.
"Knock his eye out loafer yelled.
Quick as a fash Bills big right flew out.
But the musician lodged. He pushed his
way through the crowd, now angry at his
escape from the blow. Some one grabbed
him and tore off his coat-sleeve. Another
grabbed his hat. A third tripped him up.
Bill was close upon him.
But the now tousled musician scrambled
to his feet and fed up the street, the peo-
pie turning and yelling with delight. Bill
pursued, but the lighter figure left his
hulking frame in the rear. The crowd
burst into shouts of hysterical laughter.
The flight of the man music-teacher was
about the funniest thing that had happen
ed in the town for years. 1t was sort OF
etiquette in the town to stand up and fight,
even when you had every evidence that
you was going to be whipped out Of our
had the degradation to run, not even the
poorest cripple among the inhabitants.
The fight Of the musician became town
talk.
Miss Bessie Tassel heard il in the parior |
at her home that night and laughed i'm
II can just see him." the sweet young
thing said, "kiting up that street allegro"
Allegro? What does that mean?" asked |
her small brother.
It's the musicians word for quick"
Her small brother carried this to his boy |
friends.
And with eyes always aflre and cheeks |
burning Burr heard that word allegro" |
times after that day.
He fancied that the bully, Bill Turner,
was still waiting for him around some cor |
ner. Seeing him in the distance he would |
quickly turn and walk the other way at a |
rapid gait.
A score Of boyish voices would ring on;
after him:
Here becomes. Allegro. Burr, Allegro"
with the Italian word accented shrilly on |
the second syllable
Perhaps Burr at first quickened his pace |
1t this. He really believed that the bully /
was after him. The town which despised |
him so. was capable OF anything. He could |
TOT fight A stand against his enemy would |
have been derided, and so he almost ran
when a. first the boys cried:
Allegro. Burr. Allegro
This set the whole town laughing OF
course.
After week or two the bully forgot the
musician and did not longer watch for him.
But Burr never forgot the encounter with
his fearful enemy. Had he encouraged
disposition 10 forget * the common cry OF
Allegro" would have prevented him.