was silent. But
Jack Austin arose.

"Tom Harding!" he said with flashing eyes, "George Jones has a white
heart and he is the bravest boy in this room! If you knew"--

At this point G. W. went to Jack's side. "Don't you tell dat, Jack!" he
said. "Don't yer! You know what de--the Colonel said. Don' yer displease
de Colonel!"

But Jack's blood was up. There was something in his young voice that
quieted even G. W. He put his hand upon G. W.'s shoulder and kept it
there while he spoke.

"George is my legally adopted brother, boys. He saved my father's life
down in Cuba." Then came the whole brave, pathetic story, broken here
and there by a shake in Jack's voice.

"And when G. W."--Jack had forgotten the more dignified name--"made up
his mind on the hill-top to go down after my father, he plunged off
where Spaniards were hidden thick and bullets flying. He went alone, and
he was awful little. And he went on, and wounded soldiers met him and
told him my father was off helpless on the ground in some bushes, and he
got near there and he saw a Spaniard aiming his gun and G. W. aimed his
and shot true, and the soldier the Spaniard was going to shoot--was my
father! And G. W. got my own father back to the tent hospital all alone
and no one else on earth did it. My father says G. W. had a glorious,
glorious hero-strength. My father and my mother and myself are never,
never going to forget what G. W. did! And G. W. is going to have the
best life my father can help him get! Now isn't he brave and fine enough
to be respected? Is any one going to mind his brown color when his soul
is as white--as white as snow? What would you have of a boy?" Jack's
voice failed him. G. W., by his side, stood with his back to the boys,
even yet as rigid as a statue.

For a second--stillness; then a stir in the group. Tom Harding came
forward, his fine young face quivering with emotion.

"I beg your pardon, George," he said. "_I_ will never make your life
hard again!"

"Nor I! Nor I! Nor any of us!"

It came like a shout.

A smile beamed upon the face of little G. W. His simple, strong, sunny
nature responded to the honest outburst. He turned to the boys.

"I'se sorry about my skin," he said slowly, "since you-all don't like de
color; but I like de--the color of yours, and I'se goin'--going ter
learn all that de Colonel wants me ter learn! I'se never going to
disappoint de Colonel!"

Professor Catherwood raised his hand. "Three cheers for