does," Allyn returned fiercely. "He is a coward, too, and never goes
for our crowd; but takes boys like Jamie Lyman, stupid, shabby little
milksops that don't dare stand up to him. It isn't their fault that they
are dunces, and he ought to know it. I told him so."

Theodora looked perplexed.

"Sit down, Allyn," she said. "I want to talk this over quietly. Does
papa know?"

"No; it's only just now, and I came straight to you. I thought perhaps
you would help me tell him. I'm sorry, Ted, honestly sorry; but there
wasn't anything else to do."

Up to this moment, Theodora had been trying to hold on to the threads of
her interrupted chapter. Now she dropped them entirely, as she rested her
arm on Allyn's shoulder.

"I am glad to have you tell me things," she said. "Now make a clean
breast of it, Allyn."

And Allyn did make a clean breast of it, sparing nothing of the detail of
weeks of petty tyranny. It was a story which fortunately is rare in these
latter days, a story of a nervous, toadying teacher who vented his bad
temper in those directions where there was least chance of its rousing a
just resentment.

"I couldn't help it, Ted," he said at length. "I've no sort of use for
Jamie Lyman; he lisps and he has warts, and he hasn't the pluck of a
white rat. He looks like one, anyhow, with his tow head and his little
pinky eyes. I told Mr. Mitchell it was a shame. He talked a good deal,
and I suppose I did. We both were pretty mad, and then he told me I must
take it back, or else get out. I couldn't take it back, so I walked off."

In the boy's excitement, the words came tumbling over each other and his
brown eyes lighted. Then they grew dull again, as his sister spoke.

"I am sorry about it, Allyn," she said slowly; "sorry for you, because
you must go back and apologize."

"I won't."

"I think you'll have to. There isn't any other way."

"But it was all true."

"Perhaps so. I am not sure. I know you meant to stand up for the right
side; still, you must apologize to Mr. Mitchell, all the same."

The boy stared at her reproachfully.

"But I thought you would understand, Ted."

"I do, dear. If I didn't understand quite so well, I shouldn't be so
sure what you ought to do. When I was your age, I was always getting into
just such scrapes as this, simply because I used to burn up all my powder
without taking aim. All the good it did, was to show up the weak spots of
my position. Go slow, Allyn, and don't be so