r 'em, and would start the action himself.

It got so that boys used to travel in bands--them that had criticized his
appearance so he'd hear it--but he'd lie in wait for stragglers that was
left behind by the convoy, and it would be the same old sad story. You
can know what it meant when I tell you that the last year Shelley went to
school they say he could come onto the playground with his long yellow
curls floating in the breeze, and not a word would be heard from the
fifty boys that might be there.

And so it went till he was thirteen. One succession of fights and a
growing collection of words that would of give his fond pastor something
to think about. Of course word of the fights would get to Shelley's ma
from mothers whose little ones he had ravaged, but she just simply didn't
believe it. You know a woman can really not believe anything she don't
wish to. You couldn't tell that lady that her little boy with the angel
face and soft voice would attack another boy unless the other boy begun
it. And if the other boy did begin it it was because he envied Shelley
his glorious curls. Arline was certainly an expert in the male
psychology, as they call it.

But at thirteen Shelley was losing a lot of the angel out of his face.
His life of battle had told on him, I guess. But he was still obedient
and carried the cross for his mother's sake. Poor thing! He'd formed the
habit of obedience and never once suspicioned that a woman had no right
to impose on him just because she was his mother. Shelley just took to
fighting a little quicker. He wouldn't wait for words always. Sometimes
mere looks of disgust would start him.

Then, when he got to near fourteen, still with the beautiful curls, he
begun to get a lovely golden down on his face; and the face hadn't hardly
a trace of angel left in it. The horrible truth was that Shelley not only
needed a haircut but a shave. And one day, goaded by certain taunts, he
told his mother this in a suddenly bass voice. It must of startled
Arline, having this roar come out of her child when his little voice had
always been sweet and high. So she burst into some more tears and Shelley
asked her forgiveness, and pretty soon she was curling his hair again. I
guess he knew right then it was for the last time on earth, but nothing
warned the mother.

These new taunts that had finally made a man of Shelley was no taunts
from boys, which he could handle easy, but the taunts of heedless girls,
w