The Eagle's Heart

the people in his first congregation remarked upon "the handsome lad." The clear brown of his face, his big yellow-brown eyes, his s

, and a winning smile. His eyes were dark and introspective, but they could glow like sunlit topaz, or grow dim wit

racelessly in her pew, but her stepdaughter, Maud, by her side, was carrying to early maturity a dainty

d the women from pew to pew un

with distorted face, and only the prompt action on the part of both mothers prevented a clamorous encounter over the pew. Harold had

searching gaze of his parishioners, as well as to close in a red glare of anger. From that moment Harold was known as "that preacher's boy," t

s, though he had scores of quarrels, for he scared his opponents by the su

covered, and no one, not even youths grown to man's stature, cared to attempt violence with him. One lad, struck with a stone from his cunning right hand, was carried home in a carriage. Another, being thrown by one co

ty, buoyant playmate, and a good scholar five days out of six, but he demanded a certain consideratio

es. They all admired him unreservedly, but most of them were afraid of him, so that h

nd Harold also wept in his presence, but that did not prevent him from fairly knocking out the brains of the next boy who annoy

vately declared that he heard muffled curses and shrieks and the sound of blows rising from the cellar of the parsonage-but this story was hushed on

e shoulders of the sire. Harry called his father "the minister," and seemed to have no regard for him beyond a certain respect for his physi

in allusion to her pretty round cheeks and clear complexion, and yet he loved her and would instantly fight for her, and no one else dared tease her or utter a word to annoy her. She was fourteen years of age when Mr. Excell came to town, and at six

h young Mr. Norton. Maud sprang to a chair screaming wildly, while her suitor caught the s

he matter?

said: "Oh, nothing much, pa

young man, who, with a painful smi

are me, that's all. It

truth, Mr. Norton," the m

became terrible to meet, and the beaded sweat of his furious anger stood thick on his face. "

the floor like a roused tiger. White and shaking with a sort of awe

better go out to Mr

ud spoke above a whisper. When the minister came down to tea he made no comment on Harry'

d kept his eyes on his

wly escaped a tragic ending. When the struggle ended

lly in his own bed, the father knelt at his wife's kne

iendish temper. No matter what I say or do, keep us apart till I a

shamed them all. The boy was deeply repentant, but uttered no word of

o the scandal of the First Church. He not only won the race, but was at once offered a great deal of

ht rapidly, and by the end of the year was too heavy, and the owner of the horse refused to repeat his offe

in his study contained a contraband collection of his son's weapons. There was a certain pathos in this little arsena

xplode powder and throw a bullet. Some of them were "toggled up" with twine, and one or two had handles rudely carved out o

concealed. On Fourth of July he always helped to fire the anvil and fireworks, for he was deft and sure and quite at home with explosives. He had acq

ed to every command outwardly, but inwardly vowed to br

th of time, but he listened delightedly to any one who consented to read for him. When his sister Maud wished to do him a great favor and to enjoy his company (for she loved him dearly) she read Daredevil Dan, or some similar story, while he lay out on his stomach in the grass under the trees, with restless fe

d of her through the woods, to pilot the way, and to help her over ditches or fences. He loved to lead her into dense thickets and to look around and say: "There, isn't this wild

the grass, he suddenly said: "C

eager to keep him in this gentle mood, cried:

peak again f

dy west of me," he said, a look of si

t, then, I'm a girl, you know; we'r

urland

ds; she wants you to

it so savagely that Ma