The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-21

and there, in contempt of all commercial honor. Robert stubbs was forced to pay back to each one every farthing except the original debt. Then he. who had done absolutely nothing except what was right and conscientious was brutally logged.
 Worse than all, the tyrant decreed that any boy who borrowed should be fiogged twice as hard. That ruined Bob Stubbs' little commerce utterly
 This high-handed outrage was the al most direct cause of his subsequent ruin. During the next few terms he was quite penniless, for his father most heartlessly expressed satisfaction at the doctors sav- age action and cut him off with stingy allowances of pocket money
 His mother tried to make up for it by buying him excellent clothes: and this made her. too, in a sense, an agent re- sponsible for his future troubles. He had a thunder and lightning coat, an en- brodered white waistcoat a lace frill and elegant white silk stockings. Now, this suit was quite incomplete without pair of top boots. But his mother had been too careless to think of them when she had a chance and subsequently, dared not buy them or send him the money, because his father mad forbidden it sternly.
 There was nothing for it except to get them on credit and depend on the fortune of war for raising the three pounds that they would cost, But to get credit under the name of Stubbs was quite out of the question. Master Strickland. the boot maker, would be sure to inquire at the school, and the rapacious and dishonest faculty would without doubt hesitate at rothing to blacken his character.
 Thus, through the injustice of parents and teachers, Master Stubbs was forced to descend to a slight though harmless deviation from the exact truth. He in- troduced himself to Master Stffeliiind as Lord Cornwallis and had the boots on his feet before the dazzled artisans brain realized it. ~1
 Unfortunately the shoemaker came to the school soon afterward and proudly but respectfully asked about his Lordship. Lord CornwaIlis. The boys laughed and told him that there was no such swell at their school. Master Stiffelkind, becoming suspicious, described him as a very fat nobleman who squinted a little. Tt must be Copper Merchant.' howled the un- grateful Bunting.
 Stubbs was studying very hard, with his head buried between his hands. He was so annoyed at being interrupted that 1t required three big boys to drag him to the presence of Master Stiffelkind. rnhappily the wretched Dr. Swishtail appeared at that moment, with his usual malevolent faculty for arriving at, mop portune junctures, and he insisted with savage joy on hearing the whole story. strickland did not ignore a single detail. He was furious not only because he had been cheated, but because Master Stubbs, compelled by necessity to play part, had abused and cursed the bootmaker when he bought the boots, that being naturally a vital element in the role of young noblemen.
 The stupid man could not see this fine point and remembered only that he had been called scoundrel and rascal, not by a nobleman, but by stubbs. His resent ment was increased when Dr. Swishtail told him to take the boots and get out, accusing him of having charged twice what they were worth. Now it is clear to the meanest understanding that Mas ter stubbs was not in the renotest degree responsible for this overbearing attitude of pr. Swishtail; yet the indignant boot maker vowed that he would get satisfac- tion out of Master Stubbs if he had to wait for years. You shall never hear the end of those boots" said he.
 And it was true. As if they had been changed into serpents those boots began their venomous work at once. The doctor declared that he was unfit for the society of the other boys and should be packed up neck and heels and sent home. He was too disgusted even to flog him-a remark at which Master Stubbs was just beginning to smile when he observed that the doctor had grinned treacherously and then had turned his back on them all in the most ostentatlous way.
 Tine next minute he was seized by his fellow pupils, who had so ofter reveled on his capital and carried to the pump, where they pumped on him till they were tired Not till he was half dead did the malicious doctor ring the school bell to call the boys in.
 Master Stubbs now remained at home, sacrificing himself to please his mother, who bought clothes for him and gave him pocket money enough to cut pretty figure. His father wanted him articled to a merchant but his mother and he agreed that he was born to be a gentleman and not a tradesman and that the army was to be his profession.
 His father consented after some strife. Then he attempted, with a most deplor
 able lack of parental affection, to get commission for his son in a marching regiment; and this in the face of the fact that war was on at the time between the English and the French.
 However, his mother supported loyalty by Master Stubbs convinced his father
 that the militia was the only possible field and he joined the North Bungays
 and was fairly launched in the world 1 All the men soon hated him confound- edly, christening him with knock knees"
 and other nasty titles. It was evident to 1 everybody that trey were jealous, for the
 women showed the greatest delight when
 ever he appeared and laughed and carried on till the other poor fellows must have
 felt themselves horribly out of 1t.
 stubbs did not let this admiration spoil 1 him. He was neither hot-headed or i'm l prudent. like the other young fellows So
 he did not permit himself to yield to the blandishments of the young women. Be- I sides, he YVES, in a way, engaged to