The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1908-06-06

was it that no had 70 wear SHOES ali
summer. and had to dress up every
night! His mother! She Il was who
made him forego the delights OF the
swimming-hole. and called him "dar-
ling" and stroked his hair before the
gang; she boastsd Of his love for soap
and water and his aversion for torn
clothes. and football and lighting, to
the other boys mothers. and made
his name thing Of scorn in the ward
wherein he dwelt. and his presence
merely tolerated.
Next day he received permission to
stay away from school provided he
would keep In his room and study.
Father talked loudly about taking
his medicine" but II only showed how
little he knew. and widened the gulf
between them. Last night he had
thought for q minute his father un.
derstood. but to want him to face that
gang the very next day showed how
all alone he really was now.
Day followed day In rapid fight:
week piled upon week. and the Incl.
dent was well-nigh forgotten save BY
Buck Jones.
Buck was the best fighter, runner.
swimmer Of them all; his fertile brain
conceived their many deeds Of daring.
stealth, and cunning. Buck It was
whose supremacy as leader OF the
gang had been established one short
week after his family moved to town
from Idaho-and had never since been
even questioned. He never had to
come in at eight o'clock; he 1t was
who kept the other gangs from utterly
wiping out the south side bunch by
his own personal prowess.
1t was only few days later, while
Buck Jones had to stay after school.
that the north siders came and falling
upon the leaderless bunch" put them
to a sorry fight-nay. more, chased
them through the very yards into their
houses, and daringly stood outside and
made jeering comments. Buck heard
the tale and decided at a meeting held
next day at recess that action was
necessary
Then did a feeling Of great Joy
enter the breast Of Algernon Pinckney
Schuyler Brown. At last-at last
his opportunity had come and
found him ready.
Can go too. Buck?'
There was an incredulous pause.
Could this be the pretty Algernon Of
fering to go into combat, where 1t was
direst disgrace to come out with cloth
Ing whole or features unmarred7 In
cold tones the leader spoke:
1--WE don't want babies. Sugar
Lump"
It was too much-too cruel that
even In the moment of selfimmolation.
Of struggle and triumph. he should be
denied the palm. He pitied his miser-
able lot as he sadly walked back into
the schoolroom. sunk In the deepest
depths Of despair. Don't want ba-
bies: don't want babies!" echoed and
reechoed the words In his ears till
q mighty defiance gripped him and q
desperate determination. He'd 60 any
how.
That was the longest schoolday
ever recorded. but the teacher finally
put down the last of lot OF very bad
grades. and the school trooped gayly
out on the sidewalk, with Mary Foster
this once walking alone For far
ahead, punched closely together In
ragged array, helter-skelter down the
middle of the street like so many
sheep. trooped the south side gang
Buck Jones at their head. brandishing
stick and whizzing rocks at trees
along the roadside. And behind them
all alone-with eyes intently fixed
upon the hard, dusty road. now and
then kicking piece Of wood out OF
the way. came-Algernon Pinckney
Schuyler Brown. There were great
'daubs of dirt on his broad Byron col
lar as though some one had smeared
1t purposely; his shoes and stockings
we're white with the dust he raised
by lovingly scraping his feet side
wise along the road. his face and
hands dirtier than even Boyland Ell.
quette demanded. and those pockets
that never held aught more dangerous
than immaculate handkerchiefs. stood
out In strange knobby Jumps that to
the initiated spelled-rocks. Save for