Evening star., 1924-09-13
CONTINUED from Yesterdays Star.)

1t was not until they arrived in
Penzance that she broke the news
that he was going to school 0rtho
was a tri1e staggered at first, but. to
her surprise, took 1t very calmly.
making no objections. In the first
place. it was something new, and the
prospect of mixing with herd of
other boys struck him as rather jolly.
Secondly, he was fancyinS himself
enormously in the fine clothes with
which Teresa was loading him. He
had never had anything before but
the toughest of homespuns stitched
together by Martha and speedily re-
duced to shreds. He put the best
suit on there and then. and strutted
Market Jew street like young pea
cock ogling its first hen.
They left Penzance in the early
afternoon (spare kit stuffed in he
saddle bags). In the ordinary way
Teresa would have gone straieh. to
the Angel at Helston and ordered
the best, but now, in keeping with
her new vow of economy, she sought
free nights lodging at Tregors.
Also she wanted to raise some of the
rent in advance.
Ortho was entered at her fathers
old school next day.
Teresa rode home, pleasantly con-
sciouS of duty done, and Ortho
plunged into the new world, con-
WINGED that he had only to smile and
conquer. In which he erred. He was
no longer a Penhale in his own par
1sh, prospective squire of the keigwin
Valley, but an unsophisticated young
animal, thrust into a den of sophisti-
Gated young animals, and therefore 4
heavensent butt for their superior
humor. Rising II and set to learn
his A, B, c in the lowest form among
the babies. This gave the wits an
admirable opening. That he could
ride, sail a boat and shoot anything
flying or running weighed as nothing
against his ignorance of Latin de-
clensions.
He sought to win some admiration
or even tolerance for himself by tell
ing of his adventures with PyraTnus
and Jacky's George, but it had the
opposite effect. His tormentors (sons
of prosperous land owners and trades
mem declared that any one who as
sociated with gypsies and fishermen
must be of low caste himself, and
taunted him numerically. They
would put their hands to their mouths
and halloo after the manner of fish
hawkers. "Mackerel! Fresh mack
erel! Say, Penhale. what's the price
of pilchards today?"
Or, Hello, Penhale. There's one of
your Pharaoh mates at the gate with
monkey. Better go and have
clunk over old times"
Batting Penhale became 4 fashion
a bic pastime. Following the example
of their elders, the small boys took
up the Raging. This was more than
Ortho could stand. He knocked some
heads together, whereby earning the
reputation of bully.
bulky. freckled lad. named Burn
adick, propelled by friends and pro-
Tossing himself champion of the op-
pressed, challenged Ortho to fight.
Ortho had not the slightest desire
to fight the reluctant champion, but
the noncombatants (as is the way
with noncombatants) gave him no op-
ton. They formed ring arouni the
pair and pulled the coats off them.
For a moment or two it looked as
If Ortho would win. An opening
punch took him under the nose and
stung him to such a pit.h of fury
that he tumbled on top of the freckled
one, whiriing like a windmill, fairly
smothering him. But the freckled
one was an old warrior. He lodged
and side-stepped and propped straight
leftS to the head whenever he got a
chance, well knowing that Ortho could
not last the crazy pace.
Ortho could not. or any mortal man.
In couple of minutes he was puff
AAiiS eiio . dhliIiS, ." SlHS "llulS,
giving openings everywhere. The
heart was clean out of him. He had
not wanted to fight in the first place.
and the popular voice was against
him. Everybody cheered Burnadick.
Not single whoop> for him. He
ended tamely. dropped his fists and
gave Burnadick best. The mob
Jeered and hooted and crowded
round the victor, who shook them
off and walked away, licking his raw
knuckles. He had an idea of follow
ing Penhale and shaking hands with
him; hardly knew what the fight had
been about: wished the other fellows
weren't always arranging luarrels
for him; they never gave his knuckles
time to heal. He'd have a chat with
Penhale one of these days-tomorrow
perhaps.
His amiable intentions never bore
fruit, for on the morrow his mother
was taken ill and he was summoned
home, and nobody else had any kindly
feelings for Ortho. He wrestled with
incomprehensible primers among tit
tering infants during school hours.
Out of school he skunk about, alone
always, cold-shouldered everywhere.
His sociable soul grew sick within
him, he rebelled at the sparse feed
ing, hated the irritable, sarcastic
ushers, the bewildering tasks, the
boys, the confinement-everj thing
At night in bed he wept hot tears of
misery.
A spell of premature Spring
weather touched the land. Incautious
buds popped out in the Helston back
gardens. The hedgerow s;orse was
gilt edged; the warm scent Of push
ing greenery blew in from the hill
sides. Armadas of shining cloud
cruised down the blue. Ortho, labori-
ously spelling c A T, cat, r A T, Iat,
in drowsy classroom, was trou-
bled with dreams. He saw the Bara-
gwanath family painting the Game
Cock on the Cove slip, getting her
summer suit out of store; saw the
rainbows glimmering over the Twelve
Apostles, the green and silver glitter
of the Channel beyond; smelled sea
weed; heard the lisp of the tide He
dreamed of Pyramus Herne wandering
northward with Lussha and the other
boys behind bringing up the horses,
wandering over hill and dale, new
country outreeling before him every
day. He bowed over the desk and
buried his face in the crook of his
arm.
A fly explored the spreading ear of
Rusty Rufus" the junior usher. He
woke out of his browse, one little pig
eye at a time, and glanced stealthily
round his class. Two young gentle
men were playing noughts and
crosses, two more were Tipping pei
let's at each other; fifth was maxi
ing chalk marks on the back of a
sixth, who in turn was absorbed in
cutting initials in the desk; sew
enth appeared to be asleep. Rufus,
having slumbered himself, passed
over the first six and fell upon his