The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-07-01
CHAPTER XII.

/ u
proceeded 10 thrash them upon every
proper occasion. and he did It with q
thoroughness that left nothing to bt
desired thereafter When Robert had
thrashcd a boy that boy went to bed
for repairs. And he WAS apt 10 be ret.
lcent ns 10 where and how he had re.
ceived his bruises. That was because
Robert always ended fist encounter
with warning.
"Ef you don't want a double dose o.
dis here you'll perhaps obstaIn rum
mentIonin' de name o. dc cullcd gen.
tleman wot glib II ter you"
Aud the victim usually "obstalned."
II he didn't II was presently the worse
for him.
Robert had been born In the south.
He had lived there I'll his fourteenth
year. Ile had there lmbIbed certain
doctrines OF pusnaclous chIvalry. There
had been bred In his bone the convIc-
ton that IL was every strong mans
duty TO protect every woman and to
punish nny dlsrcspect shown TO her.
II wus through one OF Roberts bat
ties that Gu.ford Duncan became &C.
quaIntcd with his hostess, Barbara
Verne. That young woman very rare
ly appeared In the dining room, and
10 the young VirgIuIan had scarcely
more than met her when one morning
on his way 10 breakfast he came upon
a battle between Robcrt-''free man of
color" as he loved TO call himself
and three Cairo boys who had waylaid
him In order TO ayengc the punishment
he had given few days before to one
Of them who had playfully hurled half
a brick through Barbara's kitchen win.
dow.
When Duncan came upon the battle
Geld Robert was backed up against O
dead wall Two Of his adversarles had
gone TO grass. and the third was hesi-
tating to prosecute the attack alone.
Seeing his hesitation. Bob-great STRAIT.
egist that he was-Instantly decided to
convert his successful defense Into n
successful offense without delay. Quit
ting his defensive position against the
wall, he rushed upon his remaining ad.
versary. who promptly retreated with.
out waiting to reckon upon the casual.
ties.
Then Bob Jumped upon his other and |
slowly rising antagonists, knocked |
them down again and hurrledly exact |
ed OF each wish may die" promise
to LET Little Missile" alone from that
day forth
Good for you. Bob" exclaimed
young Duncan. But well make that |
promise more binding. Help me, and
I'll take these young rutiians before
Judge Gross aud compel them to give
bonds for good behavior"
1t didn't take long to arraign the cul-
prlts. prove that they had thrown a
brickbat through Barbara's window.
and secure an order OF the court re.
lulring them to give considerable
bonds for good behavior In future.
This brought their parents into court
md subjected them TO good deal OF
annoyance and trouble. They had to
live bonds, and, more troublesome
IT'LL, they had to control their boys.
Then again the newspapers published
he facts.
In this way Gullford Duncan multi
lied his enemies In Cairo. But he had
deep seated conviction that 1t Is
worth mans while to make enemies
y doing right. In this matter he had
one only right. He had invoked the
lw for the protection of woman, aud
q had completely accomplished his
urpose. He cared nothing for the re-
illngs that ensued, but Ober, the man
( brains and character who edited the
rinclpal newspaper Of the town. took
he matter up and made much of 1t.
This town Is barbaric," he wrote In
Is editorial columns. at owes sincere
hanks to Mr., Gullford Duncan for
.aching 1t that law Is supreme; that 1t
TO the law we should appeal In every
ase Of wrongdoing. The parents of
le young hoodlums who have been
ound over to keep the peace have long a
eeded this lesson. This newspaper u
'Joices that the lesson has been given a
so emphatic and conspicuous a man c
er. 1t congratulates Its young fellow k
tizen, Mr. Duncan, upon the quality v
his citizenship and upon the results G
Its activity"
The entire talk OF the little city was
Duncan's activity In haling the q
oodlum sons of highly respectable" h
lrents before magistrate as a con. n
'quence Of their battle with mig. II
r." On that subject tongues wag. a,
I'd buslly pro and con. The friends
the aggrleved parents who had been II
reed to give bonds for the good be. a
lyior OF their III regulated offspring Il
dlgnantly made race issue" Of a d,
after which had nothing whatever to al
with racd prejudice. 81
They could not understand how a d,
uthernnF and an exsCOnfedoPnto eol. a,