“Say,” cried Clarence, “I like that. You do a little kindness to a poor boy, and after many years he sends you money to do some more kindness to other boys. You try it out on me, and then my father gets the same idea and wants you to try it out on somebody else.”
“Kindness is catching,” said Will Benton, the kindest boy in Campion College.
“‘Our echoes roll from soul to soul,’” quoted Clarence, “‘and grow forever and forever.’”
“The next thing for you to do, Clarence, is to go over to the Vice-President’s room and register. Will Benton will take you, and then he’ll bring you over to the small boys and let them know you are one of them. After that you are free to go with your parents so long as they remain.”
“Thank you, Father; I’ve got everything in the world I want, and I’m as happy as a big sunflower.”
On their way to the classroom building there was quite a perceptible stir among the boys, numbers of whom eyed the two with artless interest.
“What’s the matter with those boys?” asked Clarence. “What are they staring about?”
“I really think,” answered Will Benton, “that they’re staring at me. John Rieler made such a fuss about the knockout I gave Pete that he’s got all the little boys crazy. Even a lot of the big boys are stirred up about it. I’ve been keeping to my room as much as possible these few days, because I don’t like people to be making a fuss over me.”
“Say, Will, is this true? I heard that since the fellows heard what you did to Pete ten boys of the senior division have at last asked to join the Sodality, when they wouldn’t do it before.”
“They’d have come in anyhow,” he said.