The San Francisco call., 1905-08-27
A RED-AcED BOY DID ALI
THE HOL0IHGl one HAND ON THE NRL5-
THE OTHER PALn TO RALn AND
HIS KHEE5 BRACED UP AGAINST
THE PANEL ~

"The other Johnny. the otner
Johnny" the cherubs chorused
"Biking past-saw the 1ght-"ny'
what have you there?"
OF course. it was Raffies hano thae
they had, but now / was in the nail
among them. CA red faced barrel OF
boy did all the holding, one hand round
the wrist the other palm to palm, ana
his knees braced up against the panel)
Another was rendering ostentatlous put
Intellectual aid, and three~or four others
danced about in their pajamas. After
all. they were not more than four to
one. l had raised my voice so that
Raffies might hear me and take heart
and now I raised it again. Yet to this
day l cannot account for my inspira-
ton, that proved nothing less.
Don't talk so loud" they were crying
below their breath, don't wake 'em up
stairs; this is our show"
'"rhen 1 see you've got one of them. y
said [, as desired. ''Well, if you want
the other you can have him, too. l be-
lieve hes hurt himself
After him, after him." they exclaimed
as one.
But | think ne got over the WALL
Come on, you chaps, come on"
And there was a soft stampede to the
hall door.
Don't all desert me. / sayi' gasped
the red-faced hero who held Raffies pris-
oner.
1--WE must have them both. Leefy!'
That's all very well''-
oolr hare infprpOSe1 ttTli Stav
by you. I've a friend outside; I'll get
him, too
Thanks, awfully' said the valiant
Beefy.
The hall was empty now. My heart
beat high.
How did you hear them?" / inquired
my eye running over him.
1--WE were down having drinks-game
o nap-in there"
Beefy jerked his great head toward an
open door, and the tail of my eye caught
the CLINT of glasses in the freight, but
the rest of it was otherwise engaged.
LET me relieve you l said, trembling.
mo, I'm all right"
sThen / must insist"
And before he could answer I had him
not gllrgle passed my fingers, for they
we're almost buried in his hot. smooth
flesh Oh 1 am not proud of it: the act
was as vile as act could be: but | was
not going to see RaLles taken, my one
desire was to be the saving of him, and
| tremble even now TO think TO what
lengths I might have gone for its fulfill
ment. AS ii WAS. | squeezed and tugged
until one strong hand gave way after
the other and came feeling round for
me- but feebly because they had held
on so long. And what do you suppose
was happening at the same moment? The
pinched, white hand of Raf1fes. reddening
with returning blood and with clot Of
blood upon the wrist. was craning up
ward and turning the key in the lock
without moments loss.
STEADY on, BunnyH'
And saw that Beefy-s ears were blue
but Raffies was feeling in his pockets as
he spoke. Now let him BREATHE" said
he, clapping his handkerchief over the
poor youths mouth. An empty phial was
in his other hand, and the first few ster-
torous breaths that the poor boy took
were the end of him for the time being
oh. but ii was villainous, my part es-
pecially,' for he must have been far gone
to go the rest of the way SO readily.
began by saying l was not proud of this
deed. but it's dastardly character had
come home to me more than ever with
the penance of writing it out. / see it
myself, at least my then self. things that
/ never saw quite so clearly before
Yet let me be quite sure that would not
do the same thing again. l had not the
smallest desire to throttle this innocent