Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-27

than TO put my name down lor anything OF
that sort, grumbled Joe: 81 should think \ ne
would have learned by this time that I'm moth
ing on composition"
Il fancy he wanted to give you chance to
distinguish YOURSELF" said Harry. "You can
take your choice between glory and disgrace a
week from today, joe"
And Harry walked on, eager to join some
friends who were engaged in cricket match
In field closely, no intuition telling him that
both glory and disgrace were to be Joe's por
ton on the day he named.
The academy was u singularly shaped build
Ing, the upper story all angles and alcoves.
thus it happened that many of the boys
enjoyed the privilege of separate sleeping apart
ments, only about a dozen being consigned to
a large room called dormitory
Joes room was next to that which Bernard
McMurtrie had occupied; but the two boys
had not been at all intimate. Bernard, though
inclined to dabble in all sorts of mischief, was
no favorite with his mates. He was the victim
of hot, ungovernable temper, and has been,
in his character of an only son, so spoiled at
home that he was inclined to trample on the
rights of every one.
His companions at the academy, seeing this,
soon gave him the cold shoulder, and he was
scarcely spoken to except by Roy Winchell, to
whom he had taken q singular fancy, and who
was too warm-hearted to refuse the friendship
of any one.
Joe was not thinking of Bernard when he
went up to bed that night; but the sight of
the open door of the vacant room recalled the
expelled scholar to his mind.
Yielding to feeling of idle curiosity, which
he little imagined was to cost him dear, Joe
stepped inside the room and looked around
1t was very evident that Bernard had packed
up IN hurry.
Something lying on the floor. by the small
table attracted Joe's attention. He picked it
up, and saw at once, though it bore no name
that it was a theme-doubtless the one written
by. Bernard for the exhibition the coming
Friday; for, as Joe knew, Bernard had been
of the six selected to read themes on that
occasion.
The expelled scholar had been acknowledged
the best penman in the school, and the manu-
script Joe had found was beautifully written
and arranged. He looked at it little en-
viously, wishing he could write onehaf as
we'll
"He must have overlooked this, or thought
it Of no use now," he muttered. "But il
seems real pity it should be wasted"
Then suddenly an idea came to him-an idea
that caused his cheek to burn with righteous
shame at first, but which was given consdera-
tion, nevertheless. Joe's laziness tempted him
to improve this chance to benefit by another's
labor.
Suppose he ehotfld deliver the theme as a
production of his own? Who was to discover
the deception? Ber9ards home was in far
Western State, and there was, consequently,
no chance of his hearing of it; and it was not
likely he had spoken of the subject of his theme
except to Roy Winchell, perhaps, and Roy
would probably not return to school this
term.
So, after turning the matter over in his
mind, Joe decided that his "ind'' was case
of ",Pure luck" and that not to profit by 1t
would be foolish in the extreme His con
science troubled him little at first, but his
laziness overruled his scruples at last.
The day of the exhibition arrived, and the
class room was well filled with the parents and
friends of those who were to take part in
the exercises. Joe,,s, parents lived at a dis
tanee, so they could not be present, a fact
which Joe rather regretted, as he contem.
plated the glory which he was to win through
the stolen theme. He had become accustomed
to the idea of using it, and his conscience no
longer troubled him.
Harry Goddard was the first one called upon,
and he acquitted himself remarkably well, the
audience appauding his effort loudly. He was
followed by Luke Hayden, who had been Sc
lected to fill Bernard's place; Tom Harrow and