La Junta tribune. (La Junta, Bent County, Colo.) 1881-1939, 1898-10-01
widow va. framing o.r...n fAin, ob,eo.

~ tnc COubutlS 1rooAoss~N- <Ns"sSsAo
exercises. regular life, plain. good food
Just the thing"
but boys arc % very rough, are they
nott" was the next suggestion.
"Some, - admitted MIR. Rugman. such
stories arc greatly exaggerated. Elder
boys In our great schools feel their re-
sponsibilitics When l was captain Of the
clubs at Castlebridge, ! was very care.
full
"Ah." sighed Mrs. Aran, Il should
feel 30 safe II Jack could only find a friend
such As you must have been to the little
ones at your schoolr'
MIR. RugmAn smiled contentcdly
"Hm," he said. with niodesty. There
are mary boys quite ~ kind TO the young.
sters as wns"-
He paused. for . sudden hush had fallen
upon large group sitting near them
And At that moment another voice began
clearly, decisively:
when ! was junior master at public
school
His words had been spoken TO be heard
by ALL Mrs. Arran locked rp TO listen,
and Mr.. RuRman turned 70 see who hnd
interrupted him.
1t was the professor.
when l wns in ior master at public
school, I" he repca tea, IAN incident occurred
which seems to bear upon this question
1t was decidedly unpleasant case"-
Everybody was listening now, for the
professor had been known to tell n story
we'll
There was a boy In tho school whom
We may call Smith," resumed the profes.
sor, apparently unconscious OF the general
interest "He was IN the sixth form, tall.
strong and athletic, leader In all sports
and over Is years of age There was an
other boy whom will call Brown He
was little fellow Of i2. quick md clever,
but delicate and shy He was remarkably
good nt recitation"
During the last few words the story tell.
or had glanced casually at Master Jack,
who was now standing beside his mother's
chair.
"This Smith," continued the professor.
.was u very eccentric fellow and remark
ably fond Of amusement. His amusement
consisted In forincnting his young school
fellow, Brown. and some Of his methods
were as unique ns effectual he did not
stop short of''-the professor paused to
give another glance around; Then he con
cluded the sentence-'rcdhot ironr'
Some one gave little exclamation
"Smitb,'' the story went on, would
heat n poker In the classroom fire Their
he would follow Brown around the play
ner between two walls There, holding
the poker well advanced, he would comp,I I
the boy TO recitc, with suitable gestures
long passages from Shakespenr- II 10
proved obstinate, the poker wns moved
forward, and he always gave In As |
have said. he was shy and delicate bow
Of l2."
The professor paused again
"It went on for Song time. he then
said soberly Little brown never said =
word at home. though hs spent all his
holidays. all his leisure time, In pctrira
his Shakespeare by heart His condition
Of mind NAV be easily imagined There
was no humor In II for him One day II
came to an end. It appears that he had
recited all that he knew and was still or
dcred TO go on. 1t may be that he presseti
forward. Il may be that the poker was nd
vanced little too far; IL is probable that
be was Desperate; II 10 probable TINS the
brute who tortured him was reckless
There WINS a shout, "a sudden scream Tho
iron, fresh from the fire had touched his
cheeki''
"A nasty Incident" said one after q
long pause "Of course the brute was ex'
pelicds'
.'Hc left At the end Of the term. replied
the professor
rington Have you forgotten his name
tho unspea kablc bullyf"
''No." sait the professor slowly. II have
not forgotten his name
He looked up once more His eyes
passed around the circle. resting for q mo.
ment upon Mrs. Arran q face. cloudcd and
angry still. nd then moving 10 another
face behind her chair.
That was a critical moment, the last of
the passage at nr,.'s The bold eyes Of the
man from Africa did not fall at first.
though the fiorid face had raled and the
strong hands gripped the chair rail con
vulsiyely But the professors look was
cold. unfiinrhing. threatening
The man from Africa bent to whisper q
word In tho Widows ear She was sur
prised, but had no opportunity TO say so
There wns movement Of the door cur
tains. heavy but hasty step In the cor
fidor Mr.. Rugman had deserted the COM
pany without even saying good night.
~ have not forgotten the name" re-
peated the professor calmly But it would
serve no purpose to mention 1t now.
And he surveyed the circle with that be.
nign smile which his friends knew SO we'll
Som. time later our sed H,-,w,ns
on his xloves in the hail. 1Eigna''s BY .
sinali boy, jubilant and ere fdeh'e
"Oh.' he cried. I'm 81 Eomes tasnt
story ar' Mamma hssawlshin tsPf
Jack" said Profeaeor "My dstu
ought TO be aslcep." -Gort at
''I'm going, :" replied Jack. .,.,.-l>Ve
you any more tales like thnti Because II
Mr.. Rugninn comes and talks again TO-
morrow
The professor smiled and gently pinched
the boys car. 'Don's worry" he said
It 10 not likely that be will come tomof'
row. I"
Mrx Arran. descending the stairs be-
mind "a " the A.sion and the smile. Per
hAps she be ard the words. too, or 1t may
be :hat she hisd already guessed the truth.
1t 10 my susp.r:,n that she had never real
" wavefed IN her loyairy tn the professor.
but had wisely used TIE s'ait Of Mr. Hug.
man ~ . means Of bringing h.s too for.
eetful scientist more certainly " her SOC
-Chambers' Journal