gee! You're one yourself, ain't you?"

I felt my face grow very hot. I thought of the words which the principal
had only just spoken.... Could I stand up and fight like a man?

I wanted to--I really do believe that I wanted to. But somehow the
impulse that came to me to face this seatmate squarely and to tell him
that--yes, I was a Jew, too--and proud of it--dwindled away into a gulp
and a whimper and a sickly smile.

This other boy was red-headed, freckled. He was very tall, but I saw a
crutch at his side. Later on, when he rose, I could see that he was very
lame; also that around his neck (for he wore no collar) was a little
leather thong and tab. I did not know then--and I did not learn for many
months--that it was the scapular of a Roman Catholic.

He looked at me surlily, but laughing.

"You _are_ a Jew, ain't you?" he demanded.

I hung my head, wondering how to evade the directness of the question.
The lame boy seemed to be waiting for my reply.

"Well, no--not exactly." I stuttered. But I could feel my face flushing
again.

"What d'yer mean, not exactly? What's yer mom and pop?"

"My mother and father? They are dead."

That did not seem to check him. "Well, if you ain't a Jew, you look like
one. You look more like one than the teacher does." Whereupon, much to
my relief, he branched off the subject. "He don't seem to be such a bad
fellow, even with a name like Levi. Oi, oi, oi, Levi!" And he chuckled
with delight at the thought of how he would annoy and tease this teacher
at some future date.

There are some boys of whom we can know at a glance that they are
bullies and mischief makers. This boy, whose name was Geoghen, was one
of them. He used his very lameness as an excuse to boss and bully his
classmates. He was very strong, though as I was to learn only too
soon--and his size made him an undisputed leader.

There were no lessons this first day. There were only a speech of
welcome from the teacher, and an assignment of home work for the next
morning.

But when we were dismissed and had started for the door, Geoghen limped
up to me.

"So you ain't a Jew, eh?" he chuckled, looking hard into my face.

So as to avoid the retort, I fled from him, down the stairs into the
main hall. I was just about to gain the street when the principal,
coming out of his office, saw me.

"What's this?" he said in his deep likable voice. "Running away so
soon?"

"Yes, sir. We're dismissed for today."

"Oh, I