A Boy Knight

by Martin J. Scott

Outside the school it was rumored that Frank had been ordered to the principal's office and had been threatened with suspension. Color was given this report by the fact that he came out from the school alone and much later than the rest, looking decidedly uncomfortable. The words of assurance given him by the principal had affected him deeply.

Of course the report was that he had got a dreadful laying out from the principal. There were not a few boys of the school who were glad to hear of Frank's downfall. He had been so much respected by teachers, and so well liked by his companions, that there were bound to be some fellows rather envious of him.

As he passed the first corner of the street, he encountered a group of some eight or ten boys standing around. One of the largest boys, John Morris, remarked, for Frank's benefit, "I say, fellows, lots of statues are toppling these days." For a moment Frank's blood boiled, and he was on the point of resenting the slur, when he recollected that after all, appearances were against him and he must take the consequences of his attitude. So he came up smiling. Most of the boys were of the class a year ahead of him, but Frank had always been welcomed in the older groups.

When Morris perceived, or fancied, that his shot had missed the mark, he said calmly, "I see you got a 'call-down,' Mulvy."

"Yes," said Frank, "and a hard one, too."

At this, most of the fellows sympathized with him. Boys have, for the most part, a sense of justice. They desire to see fair play—they know when to let up. When he reached home, he went straight to his mother.

"Mother," he said, "you won't listen to any of the stories and things they are saying, will you? I could speak of it—of that whole Club matter, you know, to the priest, in confession, mother, but to no one else and in no other way. If some one had told you, mother, in the most sacred confidence, something about his most secret doings, and if it was something which you never could know otherwise, would you feel justified in revealing it?"

"Certainly not, Frank."

"Well, that is my position, mother. For the present my mouth is locked, but in due time everything will be set right."

"Yes, yes, my boy. Mother knows you will do what is right. Duty costs dear, but one must pay the price. After all, if it were easy to do right, there wouldn't be much credit in it. It is the hard things that count."