The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1912-05-02
The Man
He Licked
By OSCAR cox

rather than muscular He led his
class In college, while his elder broth
er. Tom Anterior. led the football
team. Johnny was a demure little
chap. Everybody liked him. and no
body ever thought of calling him any
thing but Johnny, while his brother
was spoken of as Tom Atherton, with
a resonance denoting respect for his
bulldog strength.
Mildred Twining met Johnny away
from his home and conceived a great
liking for him. Johnny fell deeply in
love with her and proposed to her.
But there was one thing wanting in
him that Mildred wished In a hus-
band, and on this account his case
hung fire. She wanted a man with
Johnny's intellect and delectable gen
that might be aroused on occasion.
Johnny begged hard for a favorable
answer to his suit, but could not in
duce the girl to give it to him. How
ever. she had a friend in the town
where he lived whom she had prom
Used to visit and told Johnny that
when she arrived he might come to
see her. This gave him a faint hope
that she might r0lent.
But when Mildred appeared and
Johnny renewed his pleadings he re-
ceived the same reply, and she told
him frankly that he was everything
she required save that courage and
strength that a woman Graves In her
protector. Johnny went home and
poured his disappointment into his
brothers sympathetic ear. Tom, who
did not at all value his vlgor and
would have gladly exchanged It for
his brothers intellectual and winning
qualifications, sympathized with him
deeply. The two talked the matter
over, and Tom wished he could trans
fer enough Of his blacksmithian traits
to Johnny TO enable him to win the
prize he coveted. However, he said
something to the latter that put an
idea into his head.
One morning Johnny and Mildred
were strolling idly together through
the suburban town In which the for
mer lived, Johnny pleading, Mildred
putting him off for the same reason as
before. Approaching house where u
man sat smoking and looking out
through an open window, he glanced
at the coming couple, arose from his
chair and emerged from the front door
In time to meet them. AS he passed he
looked impudently at Mildred and said:
you're beaut, but you've got a
measly chap for a feller."
The blood rushed into Mildred's
cheeks. But before she could show
any further resentment Johnny jump
ed for the Insulter and landed a blow
on his chin. The man who received it
was large and strong, but he covered
before Johnny.
"a man who will insult a lady," said
Johnny with a ring Of courage in his
voice that / ID never been heard there
before, lis a coward, and if 1 am a
measly chap can whip even as big a
coward as you"
With that Johnny went at the fel-
low like a fury. His enemy seemed
to lose all sense Of advantage Of his
steel muscles and was so slow in his
movements that Johnny got in three
blows to his one. And whenever he
aimed one that would have finished
Johnny the latter sprans nimbly aside.
Mildred looked on this singular en-
counter astonished. AS she gaZed
Johnny planted a blow on her insult
er's jaw that sent him sprawling.
Johnny jumped ON him and held him
down glazing at him like demon.
Hand me that stone, please" John
ny said to Mildred. land I'll mash his
head to a jelly"
'Ill do no such thing" was the re-
ply, do you want to be hanged for
MURDER"
Murder! Is it murder to kill dog?
I'm going tc gouge his eyes out" And
Johnny put his thumbs to the sides Of
his enemy's eyes. The man seemed
to have lost Gll power to save himself
and looked up at his little enemy in
terror. MildSed, dreading to see his
eyes gouged out and to save her lover
from such a horrid crime, took him
by the collar and dragged him Off his
enemy. The craven skunk away, John
ny calling after him:
you keep out Of my way after this
II you don't want to get killed. The
next time run across you I'm going
to finish the job. I'd do 1t now if it
weren't for the intercession Of the
young lady you insulted."
The man said nothing, apparently
DESTROYS Of putting distance between
him and his fierce little enemy as
quickly as possible.
The episode made Johnny Anterior
a perfect man in the eyes Of Mildred
Twining. and within two hours after
1t occurred the two were engaged, but
only after Johnny's solemn promise
that II he again met the fellow who
had given the insult he would let him
alone.
When preparations were being made
for the wedding. Johnny made an ap-
pointment to bring his best man to call
upon his fancee The friend was a
big, burly man, strong as an OK. and
Mildred was astonished to recognize