Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-05-29

Bna that does not always happen;
far frs m 1t. To win the medal one
must have done something very brave.
by some of the boys it is held that
the mysterious deed, under which in
some way proceeds the money to buy
the medal, requires that life must
have been saved.
No medal had been bestowed for
four years, but everybody felt COM
fortably sure that the time had come
when Tad Reynolds's feat at the mill
pond was to be suitably acknowledged.
Bob himself, an attendant at the cere-
mony against his will, and slowed
in corner of bench, with q most
unfriendly space between him and his
next neighbor, felt convinced of it.
When the critical moment came, he
fixed his eyes squarely on the rusty
brass of the Town Hall chandelier
and listened to the words of Squire
Beecher, chairman of the academy
trustees and presiding officer on this
great occasion.
The squire's speech was smooth
and ornate, and soulless and brief. To
Tad was granted only short space of
delightful expectancy, and then his
name had been pronounced, he had
marched forward to the platform, the
ribbon of the medal had been pinned
upon his coat, and the boys were
cheering and the girls were clapping
their hands, while the galleries were
white with waving handkerchiefs.
Bob kept his glance still fixed on
the chandelier, and listened confusedly.
Tad had won his honors fairly; he
knew it and did not begrudge him
their enjoyment. Yet, after all, it
seemed queer world where one boy
should have so much and another so
little, where if only a fellows luck
were not
A stir of the sort an audience makes
when something not on the programme
seems about to happen, brought Bob
out of his meditations. Squire Beecher
was telling the people story of suf-
fering, of want, of starvation, or some
thing very near it; of biting winds and
nipping cold; OF family, poor and
proud, among strangers; of q mother
stricken with illness, unable to help
herself, and cared for by child bur-
dened beyond her years; of long days
and nights of accomplishing endnr-
ing; and at last of the coming of
brother only too happy to end long
feud, and to bear away with him the
mother and daughter to comfort if not
to plenty. The squire told his story
well, as if it thrilled him.
There was moments pause in the
squires speech before he went on but
now he was telling them the best of
his story Somebody, he said, had
saved the lives of TIE two in the lonely
house; had done what few men would
have dared to undertake in the face of
the fercest storm the region had seen
in years; had carried the pair food,
which had kept alight the spark of life
and made possible the happy conclu-
sion.
And, therefore, the trustees, exer-
cising the discretion vested in them,
had voted without dissent to award.
for the first time since the founding OF
the fund, second media, in single
year, for bravery and falthfulaess on
the part of member of the school.
1t was steadfast courage displayed in
humble undertaking by one who
builded better than he knew, and upon
whose efforts depended vastly more
more than he could possibly have
known.
"Robert Jenningsw rang the squire's
deep voice,
The great event was over, the older
folks had gone their ways, discussing
it, while the school boys were grouped
about the Town Hall steps. Tad Rey-
nolds was with them. but the glitter
of his neda1 no lor Ger held th eli. paze