“Yes, if he did it. We know well enough he did it,” cried Crawford, “and if the rest of you will let it pass, I won’t.”
“What you going to do about it?” asked another.
“We’ll send Clark to Coventry for one thing. If I see any fellow chumming with St. Clark after this, I shall know what to think of him—that’s all.”
One or two spoke a word in Clark’s behalf, but he had been so little while among them, and was so grave and reserved that he had made no friends. Hamlin had been strongly attracted to him, but Hamlin was so bright and popular that he was always surrounded by a throng of boys, and had seldom had the opportunity to see much of Clark. Freeman’s mother and Clark’s mother were cousins, but the boys, having until recently lived in different cities, had seldom met until Clark entered the school.
Now, the majority of the boys believed that Clark had shown the white feather in refusing to fight Crawford, and cowardice is one of the hardest things to forget or forgive.
Hard days followed for Stanley Clark. The belief quickly gained ground that he had informed Mr. Horton that keys were used in the class, and this added to the cloud already resting upon him. Soon, not a boy in the section spoke to him or noticed him except Freeman. Proud and sensitive, Clark felt this keenly, and withdrew more and more into himself. He would have remained in the school at recess, but this was forbidden, so he was obliged to go out. He never stayed in the playground, however, but spent the twenty minutes walking up and down the sidewalk in front of the school. At first, Freeman used to join him there, but after a little Clark sent him away. Freeman was hurt and grieved at this, never guessing that his cousin was too generous to let him fall under the shadow that rested on himself.
So Freeman went more and more with the other boys as the days and weeks went by.
One day he was on his way home when Crawford overtook him, and to his great surprise, instead of passing him with a rough word or a sneer as usual, fell into step and walked on with him.
“I say, Freeman,” he began, “I’ve been wanting to say a word to you. I used you rather roughly a while ago.”
“’Deed you did,” said Freeman coldly.